18 rescued from Libya land in Delhi

An 18-member stranded group of Indian workers, which was allegedly held captive for lodging a protest over low wages and long work hours at a cement factory in Libya’s Benghazi, returned to their homes on Wednesday.

The group was rescued by the Indian authorities in Benghazi with the efforts of the Indian Embassy in Libya and help of the Libyan government.

A Turkish Airlines plane carrying the group members landed at Delhi’s IGI Airport in the wee hours of today, an official told The Tribune.

All 18 rescued Indian nationals are said to be workers, hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The group members’ ordeal began last year in September when they “illegally” entered Libya to work at a Libyan Cement Company’s plant in Benghazi, said people familiar with the case.

The group was lured by a fake recruitment agent in Dubai who, under the pretext of providing them lucrative job opportunities, made them meet a contractor — said to be a Libyan national.

“They came in contact with the contractor in Dubai and reached Libya without any visa,” a source said.

The Indian workers reached Libya and began working at the factory where they found the conditions “extremely horrible” and took up the matter with the contractor, sources said. When the matter was brought to the notice of the authorities at the Indian Embassy in Libya, action was initiated and the group was rescued.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed gratitude to the Libyan authorities for their cooperation in ensuring the safe repatriation of the stranded workers.