Lok Sabha Question No. 5041 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-31
Subject: Fake Recruitment Job Offers
Ministry: EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
Asked by: Janardan Singh Sigriwal, Jai Prakash

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

ANSWERED ON- 31/03/2023

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-5041

## FAKE RECRUITMENT JOB OFFERS

## 5041. SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL SHRI JAI PRAKASH

Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state :-

(a) whether dubious IT firms involved in fake recruitment job offers lured Indian youths and took them hostage in foreign countries including Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia etc. in the recent past and if so, the details thereof;

(b)  whether the Government has issued caution to Indian nationals through media and other modes about such fake job offers abroad being promoted on social media;

(c) if so, the details thereof along with the number of Indian youths trapped by the said offers during the last three years;

(d)   whether   the   Government   has   also   taken   up   the   issue   with   the   Governments   of   the countries where such youths are being held hostage, if so, the details thereof and response received thereon, country-wise; and

(e)   the  steps taken/being taken by the Government to save the Indian youth from their clutches and prevent such incidents in future?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

## (SHRI V. MURALEEDHARAN)

(a to e) The Government of India encourages only legal form of migration from India. The Ministry keep organizing outreach programs to sensitize various stakeholders about benefits of safe and legal migration and on possible ways of preventing illegal migration through fake or unregistered recruitment agencies. Information about illegal agents is also uploaded and updated on regular basis on the eMigrate Portal.

Ministry keeps issuing advisories, media briefings and tweets about fake job rackets from time to time. Such communications are also issued by concerned Indian Missions/Posts abroad through their websites and social media handles and through the print media. Our Missions in Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia have issued advisories since July 2022 after receiving information about such cases of job scams to alert Indian nationals and to verify all antecedents before accepting an employment offer.

Quick and decisive action   is   taken   by   concerned   Indian   Missions/Posts   as   well   as   by Protector of Emigrant offices in India whenever instances of exploitation of workers by illegal agents are noticed.  As on 10 February 2023, 2458 illegal agents have been notified in eMigrate Portal. This information is regularly updated based on complaints filed by affected

individuals. These complaints are also forwarded to concerned state police authorities for taking suitable action against illegal/fake agents as per existing laws.

The Ministry through Indian Missions/Posts abroad, takes pro-active measures for rescue of Indian nationals trapped in foreign countries whenever such cases come to the notice of the Ministry. Details of cases involving dubious IT firms luring Indian youth through false recruitment offers are regularly shared with respective state governments.

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