Seventeen Indian men, recently released from Tripoli Jail in Libya, arrived in Delhi on Sunday night. The group had been stranded in Libya for six months after falling victim to deceitful travel agents who promised jobs in Italy.

The Indian youths, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, had been stranded in Libya and were released from jail in Tripoli last month. Vikramjit Singh Sahney, a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha from Punjab, who reportedly played a significant role in their release, said that these youths had fallen victim to unscrupulous travel agents promising lucrative jobs in Italy.

“Safely evacuated 17 youths of #punjab & #haryana from Libya after a great deal of ordeal of 3 months who just got saved their lives, duped by illegal #immigrationagents charging 13 Lakhs each. Request @CMOPb @mlkhattar @DGPPunjabPolice to register FIRs against culprits who committed this heinous crime,” Sahney wrote on social media platform X.

Sordid tale of youth what ordeal they went through and how managed to return safely from gallows of torture & death #humantraffiking https://t.co/gj4PPXfxuk pic.twitter.com/pQUDY7AB6a— Vikramjit Singh MP (@vikramsahney) August 20, 2023

In one of the videos posted on social media platforms, the men can be seen sobbing after embracing their families at the airport. Long before their rescue, the harrowing journey of the Indian men took them through Dubai and Egypt before landing them in Libya, where they endured harsh conditions and even physical assaults.

VIDEO | 17 Indian youths, mostly from Punjab and Haryana, who were released from Tripoli Jail in Libya last month, returned to Delhi on Sunday night. They were in Libya for the past six months because of unscrupulous travel agents who duped them on the pretext of sending them to… pic.twitter.com/BhoXOJibrQ— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 21, 2023

The Story Behind the Rescue

According to government sources, the case was brought to the attention of the Embassy in Tunis on May 26 by the family members of the stranded Indian nationals. The Indians were being held captive by an armed group in Zwara City in Libya after they were trafficked from India.

Sources said that the Indian embassy regularly pursued the matter with Libyan authorities throughout May and June, as well as through informal channels. “On June 13, the Libyan authorities were able to rescue the Indian nationals, but kept them in their custody given that they had illegally entered the country,” they said.

Subsequent legal procedures secured their consular access, leading to their eventual release from detention. They were then kept in Tripoli until arrangements were made for their travel documents, particularly Emergency Certificates for repatriation to India.

“Following high-level intervention by our Ambassador in Tunis and senior MEA officials from New Delhi, Libyan authorities agreed to release them,” sources said. During their stay in Libya, the Indian embassy looked after the needs of the recused men, including providing essential food items, medicines and clothes. Tickets for return to India were also provided and paid for by the Indian embassy.

(With inputs from Shalinder Wangu)