**Headline:**
New Delhi, The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has sounded a warning to individuals seeking employment abroad, highlighting a significant increase in fraudulent activities by unregistered agents. Cases of unsuspecting job seekers being deceived with fake job offers and exorbitant charges, ranging from ₹2 to ₹5 lakhs, have surged.
The MEA, in a comprehensive advisory, urges job seekers to exclusively engage with registered recruiting agents (RAs) due to the proliferation of unregistered and illegal agents operating without mandatory licenses. These agents often provide minimal or no contact details and operate through platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, and text messages, making it challenging to verify their legitimacy.
The advisory emphasizes that illegal agents predominantly use WhatsApp for communication, making it difficult to ascertain their location and the authenticity of job offers. Unwary individuals are lured into precarious and life-threatening working conditions, particularly in East European, West Asian, Central Asian countries, Israel, Canada, Myanmar, and Laos.
Prospective emigrants are strongly advised to verify the authenticity of recruiting agents by checking the government website listing registered agents. Valid job offers, according to the advisory, include a signed employment contract involving the foreign employer, recruitment agent, and the emigrant worker. This contract should outline job terms, salary, and other relevant details.
As per the Emigration Act of 1983, recruiting agents are restricted from collecting more than ₹30,000 and an 18% GST from prospective migrants. The agent is obligated to issue a receipt for the amount.
Genuine job offers should come with an employment contract, allowing emigrants to use an employment or work visa. The advisory stresses the importance of being aware of local conditions in the destination country, obtainable through pre-departure orientation training centers or the Indian embassy’s community welfare wing.
The MEA mandates registered recruitment agents to purchase Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY) for migrant workers, providing benefits such as a ₹10 lakh sum in case of death or work-related injury. The advisory underscores the risks associated with alternative recruitment channels, emphasizing potential fraud, unfulfilled job promises, and challenging living conditions abroad.
The advisory issues a stern warning to unregistered agents, labeling their overseas recruitment activities as violations of the Emigration Act 1983 and human trafficking, a punishable criminal offense.
With fraudulent practices on the rise, the MEA aims to safeguard the interests of job seekers by advocating for the use of authorized recruiting channels.
