Unscrupulous recruitment agencies and phony agents are operating in an ‘open market' in the Kingdom, where some unsuspecting Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi workers purchase visas for a hefty amount only to realize that they have been taken for a ride. This comes to light when the duped workers approach their ‘sponsors.' In one case, several Indian nationals lodged a complaint at the Consulate General of India, Jeddah, against a person from Manglapuram, Kerela, who sold them fake visas for as high as Rs200,000 per visa. The immigrants now are staying in Jeddah with no valid documents. “The visa agent deluded and made excuses after the workers arrived in Jeddah. He said he had authorized the General Service in Kilo 7 District to perform all the necessary documentation. The General Service office said the visas are fake, and that they will not issue Iqamas for them,” sources at the Indian Consulate said. “The agent had collected the workers' medical reports and money, supposedly to issue Iqamas,” the sources said. Similar cases of recruitment agencies taking advantage of destitute workers desperate to find employment abroad have been noted. Buying and selling of visas has become a business. In most cases, an advance payment of SR10,000 to SR15,000 is made to the agent. In another case, two individuals sold over 200 visas to nationals from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Several of these Indians have already arrived in the Kingdom through a recruiting agency in Mumbai. The Indian Consulate in Jeddah could not contact the two agents. “One of the agents was running a grocery shop in Jeddah, but he is not traceable now. One complainant found his passport number, issued in 1999 and valid up to 2009, in the grocery store,” the Consulate sources said. “It is not clear as to how these visas were endorsed on the passports of the candidates by the Saudi Embassy in India. The recruitment documents of the complainants were not attested by the Indian Consulate in Jeddah. As the complainants have not signed any employment contracts, they do not have the copies thereof,” the sources said. Many individuals who come on bogus visas, if not caught by the police and deported for not having a valid residence permit (Iqama), work in an unauthorized manner to recoup the money spent to come to the Kingdom. “My father purchased three visas for SR60,000 which included Iqama fees for one year. Now without work and Iqama, we are in a very difficult position,” said Muhammad Aziz Ansari, from Bihar. Another individual from Karnataka purchased 35 visas from a Pakistani agent for SR14,000 each and resold them. “I did not know that the visas were forged. The immigration officer at the airport in India checked them and did not object, though the documents were not properly attested by the Indian Consulate in Jeddah,” he told the Saudi Gazette. “The sponsor said he was unaware of the visas, while the Pakistani agent still assures me that he will arrange for Iqama, and that I have nothing to do with the sponsor. However, I have to deal with all the raging workers who have been cheated,” he said. He said he may also come under the police investigation, as he had purchased the visas and resold them. As per the norms, foreigners coming to the Kingdom get their visas from the Saudi labor department. All the required documents such as a demand letter, power of attorney and employment agreement are prepared. “The terms and conditions laid down in the contract should be in accordance with the Saudi labor law issued by the Saudi labor ministry, and these documents must be attested by the Saudi Chamber of Commerce, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the same has to be verified by the respective mission where the employer demands for manpower,” said Vivek Jeph, Labor Consul at the Consulate General of India. He said that sometimes the foreign employer approaches the Consulate for attestation of the recruitment documents. The Consulate charges SR40 each for demand letter and power of attorney, and SR80 for the agreement. In some cases, employers prepare ‘Wakalah' and send it directly to the recruiting agent in India to select an employee for them. It is here that the Indian workers are cheated by the recruiting agency and the foreign employer, as there is no check point to verify the terms and conditions mentioned in the contract. The employer may prepare an agreement in his own interest and hence, exploit the workers. “Last year, 200 workers arrived in the Kingdom on purchased visas, unaware of their sponsors. This year, 15 cases of bogus visas have been exposed so far,” sources at the Consulate said. Four of the cases have already been forwarded to Court by the Indian Consulate, they said. The Indian Labor Consul at the Consulate General of India stressed that workers coming to the Kingdom should come through legal means to avoid any rigmarole. If in trouble, it becomes the local mission's responsibility to send the workers back home. “If we send these immigrants for any investigation, they may be arrested. Then their relatives back home appeal to us to provide help. It becomes a difficult situation for us,” the sources said. The Indian Labor Consul in Jeddah has referred to the Indian Government to take action against unscrupulous recruiting agencies. Some recruiting agents have been arrested, and are facing legal action. “Employees should check their documents before coming to the Kingdom. These include a demand letter, power of attorney and an employer agreement. The agreement should be checked by the Consulate to assure the veracity of the employer's company,” Vivek Jeph said. __
