Stranded Indian Worker Appeals for PM Modi's Help as Saudi Employer Confiscates Passport

The video came with an urgent appeal directed to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

New Delhi:

A distressing video from an Indian worker reportedly stranded in Saudi Arabia has circulated widely across social media platforms, triggering a response from the Indian Embassy in Riyadh.

The individual, reportedly from Handia in Prayagraj district of Uttar Pradesh, appears visibly distraught in the footage. He claims his employer, referred to only as "Kapil," has taken possession of his passport and is threatening his life. In the video, he desperately appeals to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for assistance to return to India, stating, "Please help me, I will die."

The social media post featuring the video included an urgent message to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar: "Honourable Foreign Minister, please take immediate cognisance. A resident of Handia, Pratappur in Prayagraj, is stranded in Saudi Arabia."

In the video, the man explains, "My village is in Allahabad... I came to Saudi Arabia. Kapil has my passport. I told him I need to go home, but he is threatening to kill me." The video displays the words, "I want to go to my mother."

He urges viewers to share the video widely in hopes that it will reach Prime Minister Modi. "Share this video so much that, with your support from India, I can get help and come back to India," he pleads.

Following the video's viral spread, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh quickly acknowledged the situation.

"The Embassy has been trying to locate the person. No further action can be taken as the video does not contain any details about the location/province in Saudi Arabia, or contact number or employer details," the Embassy stated on X.

This incident occurs shortly after Saudi Arabia officially abolished its controversial kafala (sponsorship) system, an employment framework long criticized for facilitating exploitation and abuse of migrant workers.

Established in the 1950s, the kafala system required all foreign workers to be bound to a local sponsor, known as a kafeel, who controlled their employment, movements, and ability to exit the country. Under this arrangement, employers could confiscate passports, deny exit visas, and prevent workers from changing jobs, creating conditions that human rights organizations have likened to modern-day slavery.

Saudi Arabia's decision to eliminate this system forms part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Vision 2030 reforms and has been presented as a significant improvement for labor rights. The reform is anticipated to benefit approximately 13 million migrant workers, including about 2.5 million Indians currently working in the Kingdom.