Thousands of Nepalis in Malaysia prefer to be undocumented than be exploited and mistreated by their official employers. In the shadows Panic spreads on the sidewalks of the Kotaraya area of the Malaysian capital as immigration police sweep down during one of their raids on undocumented migrant workers. There is a palpable fear in the […]
Ghulam Muhammad, 28, lives in Kot Radha Kishan outside of Lahore. Not long ago, he was sitting in his home thinking “If I can make it to Dubai, it can make a difference in my life. My younger siblings might become doctors or engineers.” He comes from a family of nine, with five brothers and […]
India’s decision to scrap a financial guarantee scheme for migrant domestic workers in Oman will make it harder for maids who are abused or unpaid to get home, campaigners said on Tuesday. The Indian embassy in Oman issued a notice on Monday, saying it was scrapping the scheme because employers and recruitment agencies said it […]
Migrant workers from Pakistan’s villages arrive in the oil rich country UAE with dreams of making good money to send home. They work tirelessly for a meagre salary which is often not paid on time. These migrant labourers struggle with depression and anxiety and the fear that their passports will be confiscated. They live difficult […]
It is a city renowned for glitz, glamour and boasts the world’s tallest building. But there’s an ugly side that you won’t read about in its tourist brochures. Dubai’s Burj Khalifa is the world’s tallest building and a popular tourist destination — its army of migrant workers. The workers, who are largely from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Nepal, are paid well […]
Roshan Bhatta looked hopeless during an encounter at the Nepalese embassy in Malaysia which is situated along Jalang Ampang road. Bhatta, an employee at a Rawang based company that produces paper bags, became undocumented after he continued to work in Malaysia without extending his visa after it expired two years ago. Bhatta, a resident of Basundhara-Kathmandu, wanted to return home to meet his sick mother. The process was proving much costlier than […]
The story published in Samakalika Malayalam Weekly, belonging to The New Indian Express Group, portrays the sordid tales of Indian women domestic workers who were trafficked to Gulf countries and subjected to forced labour. The story tells the sufferings of five domestic workers who suffered a lot in the foreign land and had to flee […]
When the sky is clear, Rajan Thapa, 37, stares towards Kula Lumpur from Genting Highlands, which is about 30 kilometers away from the Malaysian capital. For him, the mega towers of Kuala Lumpur are dwarfed by his own towering struggles. Rapid economic growth and neon-lights of the proud and prosperous city fail to illuminate his life. Born in […]
Migrant workers toil in the sweltering heat; they do not get their wages on time and they live in dismal conditions. Their labour is exploited as they work for 10 to 12 hours a day instead of the prescribed 8 hours. The workers don’t get clean water for drinking. This is happening in Dubai, Sharjah […]
On June 18, my father rang me from our home in Gitanagar of Chitwan district. “What should we do? Are you there? Get the information on what we need to do, and that too as soon as possible!” He uttered everything in a single breath. My father has a husky voice but never speaks in a rush. As soon […]