17 Youth who got duped by unscrupulous agents in India on pretext of getting a job in Italy in February 2023 after paying rupees 13 lakhs each and were taken first to Dubai, then Egypt and then they landed under captivity of Armed Mafia in Zuwara City of Libya landed in Delhi Airport last night. The whole rescue operation and process of repatriation was coordinated and facilitated by Sh. Vikramjit Singh Sahney Member of Parliament from Punjab.
Sh. Sahney said that we received a panic call from these boys on 28th May 2023 in which they informed us that they are stranded in Libya and were being physically torched and made to do unpaid labour for months there. We even spoke to them on video calls in which we can see that they were living in unimaginable worse conditions even without appropriate meals.
Sh. Sahney informed that India do not have any diplomatic mission in Libya so we were helpless in that manner. While these boys were in terror and anxiety, so on our level itself we tried an immediate intervention by booking a Hotel and arranging two taxis for these boys so that they can run from the captivity and get rescued. On 13th June we initiated this Rescue operation and we were able to successfully pull it off, me and my office was on constant call with these boys throughout that night until they reached the Hotel booked by us.
Sh. Sahney further stated that the destiny was testing us as after two days stay at the Hotel the hotel owner duped us and he made all these boys arrested from the Hotel and were sent to a Jail in Tripoli. After this with the help of nearest Indian Embassy which was in Tunisia, we requested their intervention and we also contacted United Nations that on Humanitarian Grounds these boys should be released from Libyan Jail and repatriated to India.
Sh. Sahney said that after weeks of correspondence and persistent requests at many levels from us on 30th of July, Indian High Commission, Tunisia was able to get their counsellor access through United Nations and these boys were released from the Jail and sent to Port of Illegal Immigrants in Tripoli, Libya. Then finally on 19th August all the paperwork and other formalities got over and these boys boarded a flight to Delhi.
Sh. Sahney said that it was not just a plane landing in Delhi whereas it was a mother’s hope, sister’s affection and father’s love which was coming along in this plane from Libya. I interacted with each of these boys yesterday they consider it as a rebirth, the emotions which were pouring at the Airport by their parents and family members is inexpressible.
Sh. Sahney stated that now he is concentrating on the legal action to be taken against the unscrupulous agents who duped these boys. “I am in constant touch with the SIT of Punjab Police against Human Trafficking and officials of Haryana and Delhi Police, we will ensure that the guilty should be booked and strict action is taken” said Sh. Sahney.