Trouble could be much worse for people from Telangana working in Iraq as a good number of them are understood to have entered the strife-torn country through human trafficking networks operating in countries in the Persian Gulf. This is one of the reasons for the difficulty in collecting names of those who are working in Iraq.
Inquiries for the identity of persons from Adilabad district, who are working in Iraq, revealed facts related to the illegal entry of many into that country during the last one year. “The migrants first land in Dubai or Saudi Arabia on valid documents, but after a few days cross over into Iraq through land and sea route with the help of human trafficking networks,” revealed an official of the Special Branch who is also involved in inquiries to ascertain the number of people who could be affected by the sectarian violence in that country.
The families of the migrants from Adilabad district, on their part are reluctant in parting with details of the person from their family who is in Iraq at present. Not all those who have emigrated disclosed to their families the details of their journey to Iraq.
“My son did tell me that he is going to Iraq when he left. He is now in Basra about 1,200 km away from Baghdad,” said an anxious Yengandula Laxmi, mother of Srinivas, who works as a launderer and is reported to be safe.
Like Laxmi and her daughter-in-law Sulochana, the families of Yelagonda Dakshinamurthy, Pendyala Sathanna and Guggilla Rajender who work in Arbil, all from Kandukur, want the workers to return home safely. “We do not know if they have entered that country through illegal means,” they said as they appealed to the government to intervene in the matter.
There are five workers from Neelaipet village whose families also face similar predicament. The poor people who went to Iraq in search of a livelihood are now identified as Nalla Surender, Satla Laxman, Koneru Linganna, Navat Narsaiah and Sulsu Bheemudu.
“Thousands of youth from Nirmal Revenue Divison and Kadem and Khanapur in Utnoor division have migrated to countries in the Persian Gulf by selling all their property and valuables. Their determination for making it big often makes them take risks with regard to their immigration status,” pointed out the Special Branch source.
