A UK government investigative agency for labour exploitation has said that it has succeeded in getting a court order against five people from Kerala for suspected labour abuse of more than 50 Indian students. Investigators from the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA) were granted a Slavery and Trafficking Risk Order (STRO) indefinitely against the defendants at Mold Magistrates' Court last week. The GLAA said in a release that its probe identified "more than 50 Indian students as being potential victims of modern slavery and labour abuse over the last 14 months" while working at care homes in North Wales. The five, between the age groups of 25 to 47, have been identified as Mathew Issac and Jinu Cherian from Abergele, Eldhose Cherian, Eldhose Kuriachan and Jacob Liju from Pwllheli, a statement released by the AGLAA said. They were arrested by the GLAA between December 2021 and May 2022. Investigations are ongoing but there have been no criminal charges at this stage. Reacting to the report, the Indian High Commission in the UK on Friday appealed to the Indian students to reach out for help and counselling. "We were concerned to read this news. Indian students who have suffered this, please contact us at pol3.london@mea.gov.in, and we will provide help/counselling. We assure you of confidentiality in our response," the Indian High Commission tweeted. GLAA said Issac and his wife Jinu Cherian also supplied workers through Alexa Care Solutions, a recruitment agency registered in May 2021. Reports to the Modern Slavery and Exploitation Helpline three months later claimed that Indian workers employed by Alexa Care were not being paid correctly or were having their wages withheld. Significant concerns were raised at the same time about the workers' appearance and that they always appeared to be hungry, the agency revealed. (IANS)
Also Watch: