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Article

23 Jul 2020

Author:
Roli Srivastava, Thomson Reuters Fondation

Indian state of Telangana plunges returning migrants further into debt as it charges fees for quarantine

"'Milking their misery': Indian state makes returning migrants pay for quarantine" 22 Jul 2020

Coronavirus quarantine charges levied by an Indian state on migrant workers who are being flown home from Gulf nations will drive many returnees further into debt and put them at risk of destitution...Most have returned from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kwtait, Qatar, Oman, and Saudi Arabia...The southern state of Telangana is charging at least 8,000 rupees ($107) to put its returning citizens in quaranatine at hotels for a week, raising concern among former Gulf workers who have large debts, little savings and few job prospects at home. Mahender Deepkonda, who lost his security guard job in Qatar in March, said he had to take out a fresh loan to pay for a flight home in May and was falling ever deeper into debt. “The cycle (of repayment) is broken. My outstanding loan amount has gone up by three times,” said Deepkonda, 38, who paid 15,000 rupees for a two-week hotel quarantine before Telangana reduced the fee and period in May as per government guidelines.