Firdous Qadri
A troubling reality has emerged from Kashmir’s growing unemployment crisis: among the 700 overseas recruitment agencies operating in the region, only six are registered with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and possess the licenses required to recruit workers abroad.
Despite repeated government warnings, unregistered consultancies continue to thrive—luring desperate Kashmiri youth into exploitative and often illegal employment abroad.
In recent years, social media platforms have been flooded with testimonies of young Kashmiris who were promised legitimate work visas, only to find themselves trafficked or working for meagre wages in foreign countries.
These stories, often shared through tearful videos, paint a stark picture of a broken system, however, nothing really happens after the videos.
The Kashmiriyat reached out to one such agency located in Baramulla, about 60 kilometers from Srinagar. Despite multiple attempts to engage, the agency failed to explain how it recruits individuals without being registered under the MEA’s eMigrate system.
According to the Emigration Act, 1983, only agencies registered through the eMigrate system are permitted to conduct overseas recruitment. Yet in Kashmir, unlicensed operators continue to hold mass interviews—both online and offline—openly flouting the law.
In a confidential letter dated 9 April 2025, accessed by The Kashmiriyat, the Protector of Emigrants, Chandigarh, warned senior officials in Jammu Kashmir, “It has come to our notice that several unauthorized agencies are conducting direct recruitment in contravention of Emigration Act, 1983. These include but are not limited to: Al Jumeirah Consultancy, Al-Husaini Travels, Al-Hadi Overseas, and Imperial Education & Placement Consultancy.”
This was not the first warning. In 2023, the Ministry of External Affairs had issued formal notices officials, alerting them to the mushrooming of such consultancies.
“Immediate and strict action must be taken to prevent these entities from conducting illegal recruitment,” the MEA warned in the letter. “Failure to do so exposes vulnerable populations to trafficking and exploitative conditions abroad.”
On 19 April 2025, The Kashmiriyat witnessed a roundtable recruitment session where more than 300 young Kashmiris lined up outside a consultancy office, only to be misled by agents operating without valid licenses.
After our intervention, the registered consultancy hosting the event was forced to expel the illegal recruiters—but the incident underscores how deeply rooted this problem has become.
An official in the External Affairs Ministry, speaking to The Kashmiriyat, pointed to a key reason many agencies avoid registration: “The registration process isn’t very tough, but the cost is high. That’s why many choose to bypass the system entirely and operate in the grey zone.”
Shabir Ahmed, a youth from Srinagar, expressed his frustration, “This is a systemic issue that requires urgent intervention. The authorities cannot continue to ignore the plight of job seekers being scammed openly.”
Junaid Mir, another youth from Uri, said, “We’re desperate for any work abroad, but these agencies are exploiting our desperation. It’s like everyone knows what’s happening, but no one’s doing anything to stop it.”
Adding to the concern is the issue of taxation. Many of these agencies operate without paying GST or filing proper financial disclosures, raising serious questions about their financial activities and links to underground networks.
The unemployment rate in Jammu Kashmir continues to be one of the highest in India, particularly among youth.
This economic desperation, combined with weak regulatory oversight, has created the perfect conditions for exploitation.
Arif Wani, a local student, summed it up grimly: “A little vigilance can save families from falling into these dangerous scams. But right now, no one is watching.”
Authorities continue to urge job seekers to verify the credentials of any recruitment agency before engaging with them. But with a gap between policy and enforcement, Kashmir’s youth remain dangerously exposed to predatory networks exploiting their search for a better future.
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
- News Deskhttps://thekashmiriyat.co.uk/author/kashmiriyat/
