News
|
||||
JOB
TRAP IN IRAQ The Foreign Employment Bureau which had been suspicious of such a racket had its suspicions confirmed last week when the SLFEB unit at the BIA detected a group of 12 men who claimed they were on their way to Kuwait for employment but had only visiting visas stamped on their passports. SLFEB officials had become suspicious on seeing this group carrying heavy luggage. The whole sordid tale of job agents cashing in on workers desperate to earn a better income in West Asian countries, came to light when SLFEB officials interrogated the men. On being questioned they claimed they were not aware that they had only visiting visas stamped on their passports or the full content of the employment contracts. According to the officials these men were only vaguely aware that their contracts required them to travel to the Kuwaiti border close to Iraq. What they did not know was they would be posted in American workstations in Iraq and that they would be transported to Iraq via Kuwait. "These people were not even aware of their destination and each of them had paid Rs. 75,000 to the job agency. On detection and detention at the BIA they wanted reimbursement of their monies," K.C Harischandra, the SLFEB unit's chief at the BIA said. He said that the workers claimed they had obtained their jobs through a job agency in Maradana, Arabian Gulf Enterprises. He said the SLFEB was taking steps to suspend the licence of this agency. Commenting on the employment opportunities in American workstations in Iraq he said these openings are conveyed to job agents in Kuwait who in turn contact the local agents in Sri Lanka. "Once workers arrive in Kuwait they are sent to Iraq in Charter flights. Most of these workstations offer jobs for drivers, construction workers, stewards, cooks and other general labourers and people are tempted to go to Iraq, as they are paid thrice the salary paid in other Gulf countries, along with additional facilities," he said. For instance a heavy vehicle driver who is paid US dollars 350 in Kuwait can earn more than US dollars 500 in Iraq, he said. The Sunday Times obtained a contract from the employees detected at the BIA, which stated the name of the company as Ahmadah, Gen. Trade and Cont.Co. Under the title country it says Camp Arifjan, Kuwait but within brackets (Iraq employment). It also sates, "The employee hereby agrees to work in Iraq for the employer under the following terms and agreements..." But these workers claimed that the job agent had not shown them the contract properly and they were unaware that their destination would eventually be Iraq. The contract was valid for six months and it is renewable. Meanwhile SLFEB chairman Karunasena Hettiarachchi said they were discouraging people from going to Iraq because of the security situation. "We warn people not to go and we don't register them. The government does not even have a diplomatic mission there because of the security situation. There are some job agencies that are trying hard to convince me to grant approval to send people to Iraq as there are lots of opportunities, but the Bureau cannot act on that. If we are to officially permit workers to go there the Foreign Ministry would have to make arrangements. However he says since the beginning of this year, about 400 people would have attempted to go to Iraq, but the SLFEB does not have an exact number as it does not register any workers wanting to go to Iraq. He said they faced a lot of difficulties. Dinesh Rajaratnam was held hostage and inspite of the dangers people are still wanting to go to Iraq. "We are trying to make the people aware of the dangers they face in Iraq and we have also been given the authority to suspend the licences of job agencies that send people and we will act firmly with them. But stronger measures are needed-perhaps an amendment to the Act- to stop agencies from sending people." However, when we contacted the Arabian Gulf Agency head Mr. Ali, who is in Kuwait at the moment, he said that the SLFEB had no power to suspend their licence. "Earlier, the SLFEB approved our sending people to Iraq. Besides we don't force the people to go to Iraq," he said. Claiming that this particular contract was for Kuwait and denying that it had anything to do with employment in Iraq, Mr. Ali said he would lodge a protest with the SLFEB when he returned to Sri Lanka next week. 'It
is not our responsibility, the SLFEB should take a tough stand' Claiming that the government had not imposed a travel ban, but was discouraging people from going to Iraq, he said that it was high time that the Foreign Employment Bureau took a stand on job agencies that were still sending Sri Lankans to work there. "The Bureau should take strict action. There are still hundreds of people working in Iraq. Most of them go to other gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar and end up going to Iraq for the sake of a higher pay," he said. "First it was Dinesh Rajaratnam's hostage crisis and now it is Rohana Perera's killing. But despite all this people are still trying to go to Iraq. And at the end of the day it is the Foreign Ministry that has to do everything possible get them back safely in case anything happens in Iraq. Many foreign employment agents trick the people and send them to Iraq saying they were going to Kuwait or some other gulf country. It is the duty of the Foreign Employment Bureau to find these agencies and take necessary action because this is a large scale racket. Commenting on the death of Rohana Perera he said the Foreign Ministry was doing its best to retrieve the body. |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
