On his return flight to India, Rahul Kumar had only one thought on his mind — if the plane crashed, he would not meet his three young daughters, his fear and paranoia built up over the six months he had been away. Mr. Kumar, along with 16 other men from Haryana and Punjab, were on their way back from Libya on August 20, where they had been held captive for six months by an armed group, after they entered the country illegally. The men, who dreamt of getting jobs in Italy on work permits, were duped by Indian ‘agents’. There, they were assaulted, made to work at construction sites for no pay, forced to live in sub-human conditions, and were not given food and water for weeks.
Mr. Kumar, who owned a hair salon in Karnal, says, “My business was going well, I earned around ₹30,000-₹40,000 every month, however, I wanted to make a little more money by working as a driver outside India.” He wanted to buy a house and support his family better. He decided to look for jobs outside India. He considered moving to Canada or the U.K., but the plan fell through. A friend, Madan Lal, also a travel agent, agreed to send him to Italy on a work permit for ₹13 lakh. “I agreed, instantly,” he says.
In February, Mr. Kumar packed his bags. He bought 10 pairs of jeans and a few shoes. This week, he returned wearing a pair that he had been in for three weeks. His shoes were tattered and torn.
