(Image source from: TheEconomicTimes)

The Indian mission in Dubai has warned people jobseekers to check their visa status with the Pravasi Bharatiya Sahayata Kendra (PBSK), following the deportation of 17 Indians who came into the UAE with fake employment visas in 2017.

Job seekers can also verify the status of their visas on the Amer website or the labor department of the Consulate-General of India in Dubai ahead of their travels, the Khaleej Times quoted Consul-General Vipul as saying.

However, given the influx in victims of visa frauds, the consulate had also issued two advisories in 2017, Vipul said. "One was regarding people who come into the UAE on visit visas and get stuck here as the promised job never materializes. Second, there have been a few cases of Indians traveling on so-called 'employment visas' that were essentially 'visit visas' changed on an image editing software," said Vipul.

"People must check the status of their visa before traveling. It is very easy," said Vipul. The visa statuses can be checked on the Dubai Tourism website as well.

However, Vipul said in the last two-three months, no big visa fraud victim groups from the UAE has been repatriated. "About three to four months ago, a big group of Odiya workers, approximately 35-40 individuals, were repatriated by our labor department."

He explained given the rise in these cases, the consulate is now working with the Protector of Emigrants (POE), Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, to take strict action against fraudulent agents.

Approximately 3.3 million non-resident Indians constitute about 30 percent of the total population of the United Arab Emirates, according to the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi.

-Sangam Sowmya