Duped by travel agent, Punjab woman recalls ordeal in Iraq

“One day, they beat me until the stick broke,” recalls a 29-year-old woman from Punjab, describing the horrifying abuse she allegedly faced in Iraq where she was forced to work as a domestic servant after a travel agent lured her with a promise of a tailoring job.

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

The woman, who hails from Moga district, was able to return to India last month after she approached Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal for help. She claimed that around 20 to 25 Punjabi women are still trapped in Iraq.

The woman claimed she was duped by a travel agent from Jagraon who had promised a tailoring job, weekly holidays and permission to use a mobile phone to contact her family, but the reality was completely opposite,” she said.

Narrating her ordeal, the woman said she left for Iraq January 8, 2024. After she reached Iraq, she was “forced” to work as a domestic servant.