Over 53 Indians stranded in Libya, says NGO

CHANDIGARH - A non-government organisation (NGO) Lok Bhalai Party (LBP) Tuesday urged the government to rescue over 53 youths from Punjab stranded in Libya.

“Over 53 Punjabi youths are stranded in Libya. They were sent there by unscrupulous travel agents, who had promised them lucrative jobs. But now they are forced to work as bounded labourers at some factory, where they are not paid anything,” senior vice-president of LBP Avtar Singh Mullanpuri told reporters here.

The Punjab-based NGO submitted a memorandum to the Protector of Emigrants (POE) here, under the ministry of overseas affairs.

Early this month, we managed to bring one youth back to Punjab. He said that the travel agent had sold 18 of them to a Libya-based businessman for $11,000. They are not even given proper food and shelter, he said.

LBP officials also submitted a written complaint against three Punjab-based travel agents.

The victims, from various districts of Punjab, had paid around Rs.100,000 to these agents some 11 months back, he said.