Selja demands stronger action against fake travel agents exploiting Indian youth

In recent years, the issue of young people being misled by fake travel agents promising overseas job opportunities has become a major concern in India, particularly in the northern regions. This matter even reached the floor of Parliament when Kumari Selja, a Member of Parliament from Sirsa, raised it with the government, demanding immediate action.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) responded to her questions on April 4, providing information on their efforts to combat illegal travel agents. The MEA stated that it was using various platforms, such as the e-Migrate portal, social media, and other promotional methods, to warn the public about the dangers of fake job rackets and how one could avoid falling victim to them. It also shared that as of February 2025, over 3,281 illegal agents were flagged on the e-Migrate portal across India, including in Haryana, which has seen a significant number of such fraudulent activities.

In addition to this, the Ministry mentioned that it had been actively engaging in awareness campaigns, holding workshops, training sessions and digital outreach programmes. These initiatives were aimed at educating people, law enforcement agencies and recruitment agents about the importance of safe and legal migration. The Ministry also pointed out that it regularly coordinated with the state governments to enforce migration regulations and curb the activities of illegal agents.

Despite the response, Kumari Selja expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s reply. She pointed out that the figures provided by the Ministry were far too low considering the scale of the problem on the ground. According to Selja, illegal travel agents can be found in almost every street and corner of cities, particularly in states such as Haryana. She further highlighted that thousands of young people, desperate for jobs abroad, were falling prey to these fraudulent agents who promised lucrative employment opportunities in foreign countries.

Many of these young individuals, in their eagerness to work abroad and improve their lives, end up paying large sums of money, often up to Rs50 lakh, to these agents. Unfortunately, instead of finding jobs, they end up being exploited, facing harsh working conditions and sometimes even being deported back to India under degrading circumstances. Selja described this as one of the most shameful situations for the country.

The MP’s concerns also focused on the emotional and financial toll these scams took on young people and their families. Many of these victims sold off their homes, land, or businesses to pay these agents, only to find themselves trapped in a cycle of exploitation. Selja stated that the government’s failure to act decisively and to gather accurate data on the number of illegal agents was allowing this exploitation to continue unchecked.

Haryana Tribune