New Delhi (Sputnik) — After months of diplomatic efforts, India has secured the release of 21 fishermen who were stranded in Iran after their employers in the West Asian nation withheld their passports.
I am happy to inform that 21 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu who were stranded at Nakhitaghi (Iran) have been released with the efforts of Indian Embassy in Iran and our Consulate at Bandar Abbas. We are repatriating them to Chennai in batches starting from 3rd august 2018.
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 31, 2018
— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) August 1, 2018
Sputnik reported in April this year that the Indian government had banned migrant workers from taking up jobs on vessels leaving from Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain amid a rising number cases of arrests of migrant laborers by Iranian authorities.
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"Several instances of arrest or detention by the Iranian authorities have been noticed by the Indian mission or post abroad in recent past since the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy is engaged in checking smuggling in the Persian Gulf. They may also face possible legal action leading to fines by the Iranian authorities or serve the jail term in Iran," the advisory warned.
Last year, on October 24, Iranian authorities detained 15 Indian fishermen after they "inadvertently" strayed into Iranian waters. Last April, Iran released 15 fishermen from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. They were detained with their 3 Bahraini boats on October 22, 2016.
