7-days
Dubai, Apr 18: A Dubai-based construction company has come forward to help scores of workers who have been sleeping rough in a Dubai park for the past six months.
After reading of their plight on the cover of 7DAYS (Daily News Paper) this week, a director of Dubai Nova First Manpower Construction and Engineering came forward to offer the men jobs.
Akash Sharma visited the workers at the park in Karama yesterday and immediately took them to his company’s labour camp where they received food, clothing and a night’s sleep under a roof for the first time since last November. Sharma had been inspired to help after reading how the 30 Indian men were left unemployed and homeless after being duped by a recruitment agent who stole their passports as soon as they arrived in the country.
“I was shocked to see the condition of these men living in the park after reading the report,” Sharma explained. “Some of them are sick and badly need medical help. Our company will provide all kinds of assistance to the men including giving them jobs in the company if they want them. Or we will provide air tickets if they want to return home to their families,” he added.
The men, all from the Southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, had borrowed heavily to finance their trip to the UAE and were left with nothing after their passports were stolen at the airport. They came to the country during the illegal workers’ amnesty period last year, but mounting debts back home forced them to try to find jobs in Dubai rather than head back home to India.
Sharma said that he wanted to help the men achieve this. “We will process their visas if the men are interested to work with us,” Sharma said. Last night, one of the men, told 7DAYS that they were extremely grateful for the help, but some of them were still considering leaving the UAE for good.
“We are really thankful to the company for coming to our rescue and offering us the jobs. But life has not been easy for us these past months and we want to return to be with our families. We are hoping that the company sponsors our tickets home,” said 37-year-old Ravinder Punnam. Another worker Bukke Shiva Rao also expressed his happiness after being moved to the accommodation at the labour camp.
“We were having a tough time sleeping in the park all this time. We were afraid of being caught by the police and were worried about our deteriorating health. Now our hopes of returning to our country have been realised,” added Rao.