Indian Killed While Entering Israel Was Victim of Job Scam, Says Family
The family of an Indian man shot dead while attempting to cross into Israel illegally claims he was a victim of a fraudulent job scheme.
Victim Lured by Fake Job Offer
Thomas Gabriel Perera, 47, was killed by Jordanian security forces near the Israel-Jordan border on 10 February. According to his family, he had been deceived by a false promise of a lucrative job opportunity. Upon realizing the job did not exist, he attempted to enter Israel in search of work, believing he could secure employment there.
Perera was accompanied by his brother-in-law, Edison Charlas, who was injured in the shooting. Charlas received medical treatment before being detained in Jordan for 18 days. He was eventually deported to India.
The Promise of High Wages
Perera and Charlas, both auto-rickshaw drivers from Kerala, were promised blue-collar jobs in Jordan with salaries of up to 350,000 rupees ($4,000) per month. Charlas told the BBC that he paid 210,000 rupees to an agent before leaving India and an additional $600 after arriving in Jordan on a tourist visa.
However, upon reaching Amman in early February, they discovered there were no jobs. The agent then advised them to attempt an illegal border crossing into Israel, assuring them of employment opportunities there.
Deadly Border Crossing
On 10 February, Perera and Charlas joined a group traveling toward the Israeli border. They drove for hours before walking several kilometers along the coastline under cover of darkness. It was during this journey that Jordanian security forces opened fire on them.
A letter from the Indian embassy in Jordan states that the security forces attempted to stop the group but fired when they ignored warnings. Perera was fatally shot in the head.
Charlas, however, disputes this version of events. He insists there was no warning before shots were fired. “I was walking behind the others in the dark when I was hit and lost consciousness. I don’t know what happened to Thomas after that,” he said.
Struggle for Repatriation
Charlas was hospitalized before being moved between Jordanian government facilities and ultimately imprisoned. He managed to inform his wife of his situation, prompting her to seek assistance from Indian embassy officials. He was repatriated to India on 28 February.
Meanwhile, Perera’s body remains in Jordan. The Indian foreign ministry has assured his family that efforts are underway to bring his remains back home. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the documentation process would take a few more days.
Rising Job Scams Targeting Indians
Despite repeated warnings from the Indian government, cases of employment fraud leading to illegal migration are becoming increasingly common. Shashi Tharoor, the Member of Parliament representing Perera’s constituency in Thiruvananthapuram, confirmed that Indian embassy officials had verified Perera’s identity and initiated the repatriation process.
Ajith Kolassery, CEO of Norka, the Kerala government’s migration oversight department, noted that scammers often exploit tourist visas to lure job seekers into illegal crossings. “No country tolerates illegal entry, yet people continue to fall for these scams,” he said.
In recent years, numerous Indians have been rescued from fraudulent job centers in Cambodia and other Southeast Asian nations. Additionally, many were tricked into joining Russia’s war in Ukraine under the guise of employment or educational opportunities. Just last month, 100 Indian nationals were deported from the U.S. after being caught entering the country illegally, lured by false promises of better livelihoods.
Irudaya Rajan, chairman of the International Institute of Migration and Development, believes economic struggles drive many to take such risks. “They pay agents in hopes of earning better wages, only to be deceived,” he said.
The tragic case of Thomas Gabriel Perera serves as another grim reminder of the dangers posed by fraudulent job schemes and illegal migration routes.
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