Jharkhand workers stranded in Tunisia return home after 3 months
Forty-eight migrant workers from Jharkhand, stuck in Tunisia for nearly three months without pay or enough food, have finally made it back home.
Their story came out when videos of them asking for help surfaced online at the end of October.
These men, from Hazaribagh, Giridih, and Bokaro districts, had gone abroad with hopes of a better job but ended up facing tough conditions.
Hemant Soren pushes for immediate action
After seeing their pleas, Jharkhand's Chief Minister Hemant Soren pushed for immediate action.
State officials teamed up with the Indian Embassy and Tunisian authorities to get the workers back safely and make sure they received their pending wages.
Now that they're home, support is being offered to them and their families as they figure out what's next.
Many workers were threatened to not speak up
Many workers shared that they were forced to work long hours—up to 12 hours a day—with threats if they protested.
Most were recruited by contractors who promised good jobs but didn't deliver.
With limited options locally, some are already thinking about seeking work elsewhere again despite everything they've been through.