15 Jharkhand Migrant Workers Stranded in UAE, Facing Food, Water, and Wage Issues

Fifteen migrant workers from Jharkhand, India, are stranded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These workers, hailing from the Hazaribagh, Giridih, and Dhanbad districts, are facing severe hardships due to unpaid wages and lack of basic necessities. The workers are struggling without food, water, and a stable income. The company they worked for has not paid them for several weeks, and they are unable to afford essential supplies. The landlord has threatened eviction due to unpaid rent. Charuman, one of the affected workers, stated that a Hyderabad-based company had sent them to the UAE for electrical work. The workers are appealing for help from the Indian government through social media, sharing videos to highlight their plight and request assistance to return home. The workers had arrived in Abu Dhabi in 2024 and have previously worked in Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. The workers claim that the contractor promised a monthly salary of approximately 1,700 Dirhams (around ₹40,000), but they have not received any payment in the last three months. The company’s contractor, Tirupati Reddy, and the supervisor are unresponsive to calls and messages. The workers are struggling to survive, with some receiving only a meager amount of money from the contractor to share among themselves. Despite the hardships, the workers express a willingness to continue seeking employment opportunities abroad due to the higher wages that enable them to save and send money home.