Tarn Taran – A big and historic step has been taken at the international level by Shiromani Akali Dal Vice President and former MLA from Khadoor Sahib Ravinder Singh Brahmpura for the safe return of thousands of Punjabi youth trapped in the Middle East and especially in the vicinity of Israel and Iran. Mr. Brahmpura has today sent a very impressive letter to the High Commissioner of the ‘United Nations Human Rights Commission’ in Geneva, Volker Turk, strongly demanding immediate international intervention to save the lives of Punjabi and Indian migrant workers trapped in war situations.In his official letter to the United Nations, Mr. Brahmpura stated that most of the Punjabis working in Arab countries belong to the working class and they are currently facing extremely sensitive conditions. He raised a very serious issue and said that due to the ‘Kafala’ system prevalent in the Gulf countries and the seizure of passports and travel documents of the workers by the companies, these youth have become helpless without papers. Despite airstrikes and internal unrest, they cannot even leave the area without documents to save their lives, which is a direct and major violation of human rights.
Directly citing international laws, the Akali leader, citing the ‘Fourth Geneva Convention’, ‘Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ and international treaties on the rights of migrant workers, made a clear demand to the United Nations to immediately stop firing in war zones and create ‘safe corridors’. Along with this, he appealed to the governments of Arab countries to issue strict instructions so that companies immediately return the passports seized from the workers unconditionally and those whose passports have been lost or destroyed, should be issued emergency transit visas immediately with the help of ‘IOM’. He clearly said that the international community cannot stand by as a mute spectator while these innocent workers become victims of geopolitical wars.
While also fixing the accountability of the Government of India in this matter, Mr. Brahmpura has also specially sent copies of this letter to the External Affairs Minister and Foreign Secretary of India. He has demanded from the Central Government that administrative action be taken immediately at the diplomatic level along with the United Nations and to ensure their safe return home by keeping a close watch on the Punjabis stranded abroad.