DHARAN, Aug 31: Twenty-four-year-old Deepa Rai (Limbu) of Arun Tole, Dharan had just returned from Kuwait working as a domestic worker. Though she did not have pleasant experience in Kuwait, she decided to leave for foreign employment again as she was experienced in domestic chores and had knowledge of Arabian language.

She had planned to go abroad through formal channel until she met Geeta Rai, neighbor of her parents. Geeta recommended her to meet Beena Rai in Kathmandu. They promised her of safer travel. Deepa did not have to bother about collecting money as the agent paid all the cost.

But her dream of working in Saudi Arabia was shattered when she found herself in Oman but not in the intended destination on August 7. Only then she found out that she was duped by human traffickers.  

Her days of sorrows started once she landed in Oman. She has now been compelled to work from five in the morning till midnight. She has to tolerate abuse for even a tiny mistake, her relatives informed. Her relatives too are in deep trouble after they received a call from her recently. She asked us to rescue her from hell-like working environment, her husband Amir Limbu said.

“She called us on August 17 and informed that she has been repeatedly thrashed there,” he said. “I informed the manpower agent regarding the torture but they maintained formality saying they will initiate the process of transferring her to other jobs.”

The agents had assured her a child-care job in Saudi Arabia. Thus, she was confident that she would not get abused as she was familiar with Saudi language, according to Amir.

Deepa's husband Amir has requested Sunsari chapter of Paurakhi Nepal, an NGO working on isues related to women's migration to help rescue Deepa at the earliest. He has also asked the organization to facilitate in initiating legal process to bring swindlers to the book. We have initiated the process to rescue Deepa and bring the culprit to book, Sharada Maskey, secretary of the Sunsari Chapter of Paurakhi Nepal told Republica. Manpower agents have been demanding Rs 120,000 to bring her back to Nepal, according to her relatives.

Trafficking route
Deepa was taken to Kathmandu by traffickers along with other women who were aspiring to work as migrant workers.

Then, she was taken to Siliguri via Kakadbhitta border point.

She travelled by train from Siliguri to New Delhi. Traffickers kept her in Delhi for 10 days and took her to Sri Lanka using air route. She was kept in Sri Lanka for few weeks and then she was sent to Oman.

 
• deepa rai
 
• nepali woman
 
• trafficked
 
• oman