New trafficking threat: Goa women enslaved with lure of overseas jobs

A woman stands alone in a sterile kitchen, her back turned to the cold gleam of stainless steel.

Panaji: Riya (name changed to protect identity) is a young woman who travelled to Bahrain to work as a domestic help to improve her financial condition and escape a troubled family life. She was referred to an agent by her friend Sarika (name changed), who was already working in Bahrain. The agent handled all of Riya’s travel documents and arrangements but remained anonymous.

But shortly after Riya reached Bahrain, she was made to work as a bonded labourer — she did not get even the basic amenities, her working hours were set on a whim, and she was deprived of freedom. At times, her passport was taken away to ensure that she did not leave.

She was also intimidated into paying the money spent on her travel. She was told she would have to pay for the costs of her replacement if she wished to return home.

Riya is not the only victim from Goa who was trafficked for exploitative labour. The well-oiled and entrenched operations of the traffickers can be gauged by the fact that Riya’s travel agent managed to make all the arrangements within a short period.

She did not receive a formal contract for her employment and benefits. She was only informed that her accommodation and food would be taken care of, and she would have to do domestic work.

She was advised to be vigilant by an ARZ (Anyay Rahit Zindagi, an NGO) counsellor with whom she was in contact. At one point, Riya became suspicious of the agent when he requested her photos. However, Sarika was able to persuade Riya that the employer needed to assess her appearance because she was financially investing in helping Riya come to Bahrain.

When Riya arrived, she initially received decent treatment from her employer, identified as ‘Dr Q’, a 36-year-old woman, and her family. However, conditions quickly deteriorated. Q lived with her mother, brother, and two young children. Riya was expected to work long hours with little rest and in poor conditions.

Riya earned a salary of Rs 26,000, paid on the 26th of each month. Since she had to send money back home, the salary was inadequate. The meals provided to her by the employer, as promised in the arrangement, were meagre — often just a boiled egg or bread for breakfast, with lunch and dinner consisting mainly of leftovers or instant noodles.

Q’s mother treated Riya poorly, assigning extra work, being rude, and waking her up at night to make her care for the children. Riya suffered from severe menstrual cramps but was not given any time off.

Since Riya had no internet access, she had difficulty contacting her family back home. The situation worsened when Sarika escaped from the same employer, leading Q to exert harsher control over Riya. Her documents were also taken away.

“A new concerning threat is the emergence of Goa as a source state for trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation,” said Arz director Arun Pandey.

Agents spread across the state have developed a wide network through which they either approach vulnerable girls/women or are approached by girls/women looking for a better paying job.

“The agents usually target girls who are technologically proficient and can navigate communications online,” Pandey said. “The targets mostly do not meet the agent and communicate and receive instructions and money online.”

The agent promises them good pay, mostly as domestic workers in countries such as Bahrain and the UAE. They ensure that the girls/women receive their visas and passports swiftly and facilitate their medical tests and other formalities required to enter another country.

The expenses are borne by the agents or the employer in the destination country, which is to be paid by girls/women when they get their salary.



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