Don’t fall prey to fake offers: MEA to job seekers abroad

New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday called upon Indians seeking employment abroad to not fall prey to fake job offers and urged them to use safe and legal services of registered recruiting agents.

In an advisory, the MEA also warned all unregistered agencies promising jobs abroad not to involve in overseas recruitment saying such activities are in violation of Emigration Act 1983 and amount to human trafficking, which is a punishable criminal offence.

It has been noticed that there has been a huge rise in the number of overseas job seekers being cheated by unregistered recruitment agents by fake job offers and also overcharging to the tune of Rs 2 to 5 lakh, it said.

The MEA said these unregistered and illegal agents operate without obtaining a licence from the ministry which is mandatory for any recruitment abroad.

“It is reported that many illegal agents operate through Facebook, WhatsApp, text message and other such mediums. These agencies provide little or no details of their whereabouts and contacts,” it said.

“They usually communicate only through WhatsApp, making it difficult to ascertain the location and identity of the caller and genuineness of the job offer,” it added in the advisory.

The MEA also cautioned that such agents lure workers to work in difficult and life threatening conditions and that such cases are being reported for recruitment to work in several East European countries, some of the Gulf countries, Central Asian countries, Israel, Canada, Myanmar and Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

A valid job offer comes along with an employment contract duly signed by foreign employer, recruitment agent and the emigrant worker, the MEA said.

It said the employment contract must mention terms and conditions of the job being offered and the salary and other emoluments, adding valid job offers must allow the workers to emigrate on strength of employment or work visa or other similar visa except tourist visa.

Normally, reputed foreign employers provide for the cost of airfare, boarding and lodging and insurance cover, it mentioned. The MEA urged people seeking jobs abroad to use the safe and legal services of registered recruiting agents

(RA) only.