The family of an Indian man who was fatally shot while attempting to cross into Israel has claimed he fell victim to a job scam. Thomas Gabriel Perera, aged 47, lost his life due to gunfire from Jordanian security forces near the Israel border on February 10. His family reported that he was deceived by the promise of a high-paying job in Jordan, which never materialized, pushing him to seek work illegally in Israel.
Perera was not alone; he was with his brother-in-law, Edison Charlas, who was also injured during the incident. After being treated in hospital, Charlas spent two weeks in prison before being sent back to India. Both men were auto-rickshaw drivers from Kerala and were reportedly lured to Jordan by an agent who offered jobs paying approximately 350,000 rupees ($4,000) monthly.
According to Charlas, he had paid a substantial sum of 210,000 rupees to the recruitment agent in India, alongside additional expenses amounting to $600 once they reached Jordan on a tourist visa. However, upon arrival in Amman, they discovered through the agent that no job opportunities existed, and they were urged to cross into Israel, where they were misled into believing there would be ample work.
Describing the harrowing journey, Charlas recounted being transported for hours before reaching the border and then instructed to walk several kilometers in darkness. Tragically, it was during this trek that the shooting occurred. A letter from the Indian embassy in Jordan claimed that Perera and his companion were warned to halt their advance but ignored the commands, prompting security forces to open fire. Charlas refutes this assertion, insisting that there were no warnings prior to the gunfire.
While Charlas was able to eventually contact his wife during his time in detention, Perera's body remains in Jordan as Indian authorities work to facilitate its return. The Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that efforts to repatriate the body are in progress, expected to be finalized soon.
Shashi Tharoor, a member of parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, has reached out to the Indian embassy for updates on the situation. Observers note that job scams have become pervasive, leading many desperate individuals to illegally enter foreign nations in search of better employment opportunities. The situation raises alarms about the ongoing vulnerability of migrant workers to exploitation and deception in their pursuit of improved livelihoods.
Perera was not alone; he was with his brother-in-law, Edison Charlas, who was also injured during the incident. After being treated in hospital, Charlas spent two weeks in prison before being sent back to India. Both men were auto-rickshaw drivers from Kerala and were reportedly lured to Jordan by an agent who offered jobs paying approximately 350,000 rupees ($4,000) monthly.
According to Charlas, he had paid a substantial sum of 210,000 rupees to the recruitment agent in India, alongside additional expenses amounting to $600 once they reached Jordan on a tourist visa. However, upon arrival in Amman, they discovered through the agent that no job opportunities existed, and they were urged to cross into Israel, where they were misled into believing there would be ample work.
Describing the harrowing journey, Charlas recounted being transported for hours before reaching the border and then instructed to walk several kilometers in darkness. Tragically, it was during this trek that the shooting occurred. A letter from the Indian embassy in Jordan claimed that Perera and his companion were warned to halt their advance but ignored the commands, prompting security forces to open fire. Charlas refutes this assertion, insisting that there were no warnings prior to the gunfire.
While Charlas was able to eventually contact his wife during his time in detention, Perera's body remains in Jordan as Indian authorities work to facilitate its return. The Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that efforts to repatriate the body are in progress, expected to be finalized soon.
Shashi Tharoor, a member of parliament from Thiruvananthapuram, has reached out to the Indian embassy for updates on the situation. Observers note that job scams have become pervasive, leading many desperate individuals to illegally enter foreign nations in search of better employment opportunities. The situation raises alarms about the ongoing vulnerability of migrant workers to exploitation and deception in their pursuit of improved livelihoods.
