soc.culture.egyptian

Illegal Indian Laborers Working in Baghdad

Indian Media Reports Inskilled Laborers Sidestep Visa Rules for Iraq
Jobs
By DAVID PHINNEY 08/02/2007 7:21 PM ET
More than a hundred Indian laborers are working "illegally" on the
$592-million US embassy compound project in Iraq, according to a
returning worker interviewed by The Asian Age.

That is a small portion of the 40,000 workers from India who are
employed by American and Iraqi forces in Iraq, the newspaper
speculates, but most could be there only by circumventing visa
requirements. The Indian government has imposed restrictions on
unskilled laborers leaving for Iraq, so many have adopted an illegal
roundabout route, entering Iraq through other Gulf countries without
proper visas.

They are mainly engaged on work in military bunkers, supplying food to
soldiers and other menial jobs. A hundred of them have reportedly been
drafted to work on the US embassy building site.

Why are they there? Largely because work in Iraq pays well: Ramana
Reddy from Malial mandal in Karimnagar returned after working at the
US embassy site for some time."It is hard work since they are
constructing a 21-building complex," he said. "Also, we never know
what will happen the next moment in Baghdad. But we risk everything
for the big pay."

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