Ranchi– Seventeen migrant workers from Jharkhand, stranded in Cameroon for months after their employer allegedly withheld wages, returned home safely on Monday thanks to the intervention of India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
The workers, from Bokaro and Hazaribagh districts, were part of a group of 19 who had traveled to the West African nation through a private agency to work for Transrail Lighting Limited, a company involved in electricity transmission projects. Once in Cameroon, they claimed the company failed to pay them for four months, leaving them unable to afford food or other essentials.
Facing severe financial distress, the workers recorded a video message that spread on social media, appealing to both the central and Jharkhand governments for urgent help. The Jharkhand Labour Department escalated the matter to the MEA, which quickly moved to resolve the crisis.
Working with the Indian Embassy in Cameroon, the ministry facilitated the men’s safe return and secured the release of their pending wages. Officials confirmed that 17 workers landed in India on Monday and have since reached their homes, while two others — Phoolchand Murmu of Hazaribagh and Bablu Soren of Bokaro — are scheduled to arrive on Tuesday.
Experts note that such incidents are not rare. Many migrant workers from Jharkhand and other states are lured overseas by the promise of better pay, only to find themselves in exploitative conditions. Their eventual rescue often requires prolonged diplomatic negotiations.
The return of the 17 men has brought relief to their families, but the episode underscores the need for tighter regulation of recruitment agencies and greater awareness campaigns to protect workers from similar exploitation. (Source: IANS)
