Tue Feb 04 08:51:02 UTC 2025: ## 16 Indian Workers Escape Libyan “Prison-Like” Conditions, Return Home
**Benghazi, Libya/New Delhi, India – February 4, 2025** – Sixteen Indian workers, trapped in what they described as “prison-like conditions” at a Libyan cement factory for the past ten months, are finally returning home today. The workers, hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, had been held at the Benghazi plant of the Libyan Cement Company since September 2024 following a dispute over wages, working hours, and broken contractual agreements.
According to sources, the workers’ ordeal began with a significant pay cut and increasingly erratic payments. Work hours, initially eight-and-a-half hours daily, doubled four months ago, with employees frequently forced to work unscheduled night shifts. A confrontation in September, when the workers demanded unpaid wages and shorter hours, resulted in violence, with two workers allegedly beaten by their Dubai-based contractor, identified only as Abu Bakkar.
Following the altercation, the workers were effectively held against their will, unable to work and receiving no pay. Fellow South Asian workers at the plant provided assistance, supplying food and other necessities. The workers’ plight was highlighted by The Hindu, which interviewed several of the individuals detailing their experiences.
Arrangements for their repatriation have now been finalized, and they are expected to arrive in India today. The incident underscores the precarious conditions faced by some migrant workers abroad and highlights the challenges in protecting their rights.
First Piper 