KUWAIT CITY, Sept 9: A group of 20 Indian workers stranded in Kuwait were repatriated back to India with the help of the Indian Embassy in Kuwait. These workers were employed as cleaning workers for a company in Kuwait for low salaries with accommodation and no food. For the contract of 2 years’ work, they all reached Kuwait on 24th May 2022 in exchange for some money to a recruiting agency in India. In the beginning, the company was making residence permits for one year and after completing one year, they were demanding to pay 475 KD to renew their residency. Already they were suffering without much savings they had to manage their food and other expenses, and they were not in a position to pay the money as the company requested.

They requested the company to cancel the work permit and return the passport to go back to their home. But the company refused to give them passports and stopped giving jobs to them. Meanwhile, the company stopped paying salaries to these workers and cut the water supply and electricity in their accommodation. They all were suffering a lot without food, water, and electricity in this hot weather. These poor workers were able to manage and survive due to the charitable financial support provided by fellow Indians and some associations.

Social activist Mr. Mathi approached the Indian Embassy and the Embassy officials acted upon the instruction from H.E. Dr. Adarsh Swaika, Indian Ambassador to Kuwait. Shri Anantha S.R. Iyer, Second Secretary of Community Welfare and Labor, immediately took up the issue to the concerned Kuwaiti authorities and demanded the company to restore the water and electricity. Further, they insisted the company issue flight tickets to all of them to travel back to India.

Finally, the company arranged the flight tickets for all these workers on 2 different airlines and they traveled back to India on 6th September 2023. Tamil Nadu State Minister of Minorities Welfare and Non-Resident Tamils Welfare Mr. Gingee K. S. Masthan received them at the Chennai Airport and the NRT welfare team arranged a special bus for their travel to their hometown from Chennai.

Mr. Mathi, who took up the matter with the Indian Embassy and coordinated with the NRT welfare team in Chennai mentioned that the Indian Embassy Kuwait intervened immediately and they have been very much involved in solving the problems of these workers. After reaching Chennai, these workers thanked the Indian Embassy in Kuwait, the Tamil Nadu state government, Mr. Mathi, Er. G.Raja, and the Indian community members in Kuwait all supported them during their hard times for their repatriation.