100 migrants in Saudi Arabia left high and dry without jobs
Saudi Arabia, Oct 11: Around 100 migrant workers in Saudi Arabia have reportedly been left high and dry without jobs for the past one and a half months.
Failure of their employer to provide them with jobs has made the matter worse. Currently, the migrants, who reached Saudi Arabia through Kathmandu-based manpower agencies like Golden Eagle Manpower (GEM) and Adventure Human Resources in September, are living in two camps in Haraj in Saudi Arabia.
The victims accused the manpower companies back in Nepal of false promise of providing them good jobs in Saudi Arabia beforehand.
They said that their employer Al Jazeera Support Services Company is only providing them food. They, however, complained that they are facing difficulties, in lack of jobs, to provide for their families back in Nepal and repay the debt they borrowed before flying to the Gulf country.
Bir Singh Samal of Darchula said that he paid Rs 120,000 to go to Saudi Arabia for employment after being promised of getting 1200 Saudi Riyals per month. Samal, however, said that he is left with no option, but to live jobless in a quarter, where, he said, he sleeps on cold floor without proper accommodation, let along earn money he dreams of before flying abroad for employment and support for his family back home.
He added that his employer only gives him 200 riyals for food every month.
Similar is the story of another victim Pradip Raut, who reached the Gulf country through the GEM after paying Rs 70,000, said that they are left high and dry as they do not have any proper accommodation and food without a job.
He said that their employer is not concerned with their grievance and that the apathy of their migrant-sending companies back in Nepal towards taking initiatives to rescue them is a matter of concern. He said that their manpower companies in Nepal only assured them of solving the problems facing them, but to no avail. “Nowadays the companies do not even receive our phone calls,” he said.
The victims said that there is no proper accommodation for them. Their quarters lack proper drinking water supply and that they are forced to sleep in crammed bedroom as they have to share a bedroom with at least nine persons, they said.
Hajindra Bahadur Karki, who reached Saudi Arabia through the GEM after paying Rs 78000, said that their repeated calls to concerned authorities to rescue them have yet to be heard.