5 Old City women stranded in Dubai
For representational purpose
Hyderabad: Five women from different parts of the Old City were allegedly trafficked to Dubai by a travel agent here. The women were from poor background and wanted to earn money to improve their finances.
They met a travel agent who promised them a good job in Dubai and arranged for their visit visa. He collected Rs. 2 lakh from brokers in Dubai and gave Rs. 1 lakh to the women, as advance to gain their confidence and sent them to Dubai.
However, the women, who travelled to Dubai, faced harsh working conditions and wanted to come back.
They approached family members who filed a police complaint at South Zone DCP office, narrating their ordeal. A case was registered against the travel agent under relevant sections of IPC. Efforts are being made to rescue the women from Dubai, said the police.
Md. Ansari, a social activist, remarked the issue of women trafficking or selling to Shaikhs in Gulf countries is not a new thing, but the main problem exists in society itself.
He noted, "In most parts of Old City, people are poor. They do odd jobs for survival. As inflation is growing, such people are unable to fend for themselves. In hope for better life, they want to migrate to earn more. But, in many cases, women feel the burden of family. They are lured by such fraud agents who promise them good jobs in Gulf countries.
The families decide that while men and children stay back and earn, while women can migrate to work as tailors, beauticians, designers. But, as most women are not highly qualified, they end up being victims of such crooked brokers or travel agents, who collude with brokers in Dubai and send these women to Gulf by promising them cozy jobs, but they end up being house maids."
"Moreover the role of the police should also be analysed in such cases, because the officers of South Zone have concrete information about brokers, but they fail to act against them. Also, it is very important that the civil society, local leaders, government, NGOs should come forward to educate such people and eliminate the menace of women trafficking from the grassroots. This can happen only with awareness and by skill development programs," added Ansari.