Ministry of External Affairs Issues Advisory Against Job Scams in Iran

New Delhi : The Indian government has issued an advisory for Indian citizens seeking employment in Iran. This advisory follows several cases where citizens have been lured under false pretenses and inducements, and subsequently kidnapped and held for ransom.

The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that several such cases have recently come to light in which Indian citizens have been lured to travel to Iran by false promises of employment or assurances that they would be sent to a third country for employment. The Ministry further stated that upon reaching Iran, many of these individuals were kidnapped by criminal groups and ransoms were demanded for their release.

The advisory urges Indian citizens to exercise extreme caution. It specifically cautions against offers claiming visa-free entry for jobs in Iran. "In this context, all Indian citizens are strongly cautioned to exercise extreme caution against such employment promises or offers," it said. In particular, it is worth noting that the Iranian government allows Indians visa-free entry only for tourism purposes. Any agent promising visa-free entry to Iran for employment or other purposes may be in collusion with criminal gangs. Therefore, Indian citizens are advised not to fall prey to such offers.

The Indian government emphasized that it gives the highest priority to the safety of Indian citizens abroad and is closely monitoring the situation to protect their interests. The Ministry of External Affairs and Indian missions abroad are highly sensitive to such scams. Recently, with the cooperation of the Ministry of External Affairs and Indian missions, hundreds of Indians trapped in job scams in several countries have been brought back home.
(Report by Shashwat Tiwari)