Indian workers in Armenia claim abuse from job agencies

“By holding the passport, they control the movement and life of the migrant,” he said. Generally, only government agencies are allowed to hold an individual’s passport. “Passport is property. No one can keep it.”

The Armenian Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs told DW that they dealt with fourteen cases of Indian labor migrants as potential trafficking victims in 2023.

To date, none of them have been acknowledged as trafficking, but labor relations violations and fraud have been found. The ministry said that in some cases, passports were taken away by employers, but not by force. They were given to the employer to process the work permit papers.

However, Ghazarian said it is not necessary to provide the original passport during the permit process. A simple copy is sufficient.

He said, “If they claim otherwise, it is a lie. It means a crime is going on.”

What do recruiters say?

Petakchyan and Sinelabudin told DW that all employees pay them $1,500 upfront, which covers airfare, job placement, and the first month of food and lodging.

Apparently some situations have changed after Kumar’s arrival. Petakchyan confirmed that at the time, food and fare were not free, adding that workers were informed of this before their arrival.

Additionally, all employees now sign contracts, Petacchian said. However, the document that a DW reporter saw in a binder full of contracts did not contain the salary amount and the agent’s signature.

Petakchyan claimed that the recruitment agency is working with some of the largest companies in Armenia, including hotels, restaurants and gas stations. They don’t want to register Indian citizens, he said, so Find Your Progress hires staff and provides services.

According to Petakchyan, this is why salaries are not transferred directly to employees. “We pay them exactly the salary they are getting,” he stressed.