Five men from Punjab, who had been stranded in Lebanon for several years, have safely returned home with the help of a humanitarian organisation.
Unpaid for several months and with their passports allegedly confiscated by agents, they had lost hope of returning home amid the Israel-Iran conflict — until the organisation intervened.
The return of Karam Singh (Patiala), Dalbir Singh and Harjinder Kumar (both Jalandhar), Jaspreet Singh (Patiala) and Vichitra Singh (Hoshiarpur) was facilitated following coordinated efforts involving the organisation and the Indian Embassy in Beirut.
Having gone to Lebanon on work permits years ago, they said their salaries began to become irregular over time and the situation worsened during the ongoing conflict, when Lebanon came under heavy attack.
They claimed they had been making rounds of the Indian Embassy at Beirut for years. Their return was facilitated after the organisation founder was intimated of their plight by Head Granthi Pritpal Singh of the Adonis Gurdwara at Beirut and the issue was further taken up with Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
They said they faced severe hardships, including one member’s leg disability, while Karam Singh from Patiala lost his mother as he continued efforts to return home. The organisation and the youths also appealed to the media, stating that many other youths from Punjab and Haryana remain stranded in Lebanon and sought their repatriation through intervention by the Indian Embassy.
Jalandhar’s Dolike village native Harjinder Singh said, “Most of us are factory workers and had gone to Lebanon on valid work permits. We were promised a monthly salary of $400 but received only $300–350. Initially, payments were regular, but later became irregular, and our agents retained our passports. Many of us have not been paid for 8 to 10 months — in my case, eight months’ salary is pending. We made repeated appeals at the embassy, but got no response. It was only after we met the organisation founder at a gurdwara that our return became possible. We are immensely grateful to the organisation."
