Non-compliance of employment code: 27 foreign recruiting firms blacklisted in 2019

Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment (BEOE) has blacklisted 27 foreign recruiting firms in 2019, barring them from operating in Pakistan further due to non-compliance of the employment code agreed with the emigrants at the time of their recruitment.

Pakistani manpower, who left their loved ones behind, has to face grave problems including untimely payment of salaries, low wages, rights infringement, issuance of fake visas and others due to their exploitation at the hands of their foreign employers.

"Zero-tolerance has been adopted against the fraudulent elements on the order of Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari who has been pressing upon Pakistani workforce rights protection abroad since holding the office," a top official from BEOE told APP on Sunday.

It was a clear direction from the SAPM that the rights of Pakistani workers should be protected abroad, he added. The official said a crackdown was initiated against the fraudulent elements that lured the intending emigrants for lucrative job opportunities abroad on the instruction of the SAPM, he said while explaining about a sudden surge in number the foreign companies that blacklisted in 2019 as compared the previous years when it was very minimal.

The official said 12 recruitment agencies from the United Arab Emirates, six from Azerbaijan, four from Iraq and three of Oman had been barred from recruiting Pakistani manpower after thorough examination of complaints received from the affectees and the country's Community Welfare Attaches.

The blacklisted firms included Shah International F/S LLC, Nazar Motors LLC, Lardak LLC, Ay Si Vi LLC, Arkuita LLC, Citizen Munawwar Latifi, Shirka Ardh Al-Muheet, Shirka Amwaj Ul-Bahar, Shirka Seeufue Ul-Badar, Catalyst Contract Trading Company Fourth Union Reconstruction LLC and Dar Ul Riyan International LLC.

The official said the bureau had also cancelled operational licenses of 23 Overseas Employment Promoters (OEPs) and suspended 38 others during the same period for various reasons.

Most of licenses of those OEPs were suspended for not responding to the complaints, lodged against them by the victims while others were cancelled on non-payment of the labourers' dues.

According to the list shared by the Bureau, the operations of Zafran Recruiting Agency, Social Age Services, Sindhi Manpower, Sheikhu International, Sakhi Enterprises and others had been suspened.

Similarly, the registration of various OEPs including Al-Wasio International, Ulfat Enterprises, Faith International, Al-Sada Overseas Employment,Dar-Ul-Khaleej Manpower, Latif & Co and others had been cancelled.