In a remarkable rescue operation, seventeen migrant workers from Jharkhand, stranded for months in Cameroon, returned safely to Ranchi on August 25, 2025, thanks to swift intervention by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Jharkhand Labour Department. The workers, hailing from Bokaro and Hazaribagh districts, were part of a group of nineteen who had traveled to the West African nation through a private recruitment agency to work for Transrail Lighting Limited, a company involved in electricity transmission projects.

Upon arriving in Cameroon, the workers faced severe exploitation, alleging that the company withheld their wages for four months, leaving them in dire financial distress. Unable to afford basic necessities like food, they recorded a desperate video message that went viral on social media, pleading for assistance from both the central and Jharkhand governments. “We were trapped, with no money or support,” one worker recounted, highlighting the dire circumstances they endured.

The Jharkhand Labour Department acted promptly, escalating the issue to the MEA. In coordination with the Indian Embassy in Cameroon, the ministry secured the workers’ safe repatriation and ensured the release of their pending wages. “The 17 workers landed in Ranchi on Monday, and the remaining two, Phoolchand Murmu and Bablu Soren, are scheduled to return on Wednesday,” said Shikha Lakra, an official from Jharkhand’s migrant cell control room.

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This incident is not an isolated case. Experts note that migrant workers from Jharkhand and other states are often lured abroad with promises of better pay, only to face exploitation. The ordeal underscores the urgent need for stricter oversight of recruitment agencies and robust awareness campaigns to protect vulnerable workers from such predicaments. The safe return of these workers has brought immense relief to their families, but it also serves as a stark reminder of the risks faced by migrant laborers seeking opportunities abroad.

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