Passport withheld, no wages: Stranded in Senegal for months, Bihar man returns home

Umashankar Kumar had travelled to Dakar, the capital of Senegal, on May 17 after being promised a job that would pay him Rs 60,000 a month. Instead, he says, he was made to work for Rs 30,000 a month and was not paid for three to four months.Umashankar Kumar was stranded in Senegal for 4 months.After four months of being stranded in Senegal, a man from Bihar's Muzaffarpur has finally returned home.Umashankar Kumar had travelled to Dakar, the capital of Senegal, on May 17 after being promised a job that would pay him Rs 60,000 a month.Instead, he says, he was made to work for Rs 30,000 a month and was not paid for three to four months.Speaking to Aaj Tak, India Today's sister channel, Umashankar described his return as an overwhelming moment. “I am very, very happy. Can't believe I am home again,” he said.PROMISED RS 60,000, MADE TO WORK 12-HOUR SHIFTSUmashankar said he had been struggling financially while dealing with expenses related to his daughter's wedding when an acquaintance told him about a job opportunity in Senegal. He reached Dakar on May 17 and said he began working at a company's hatchery two days later.According to him, the job he had been promised at Rs 60,000 a month was changed to Rs 30,000 after he arrived.He also claimed that his passport and visa were withheld and that he was made to work for around 12 hours a day.In his interview with Aaj Tal, Umashankar said he went through severe financial and mental distress during his time there.“There was a lot of trouble. The salary went from Rs 60,000 to Rs 30,000, and even that was not paid for three-four months. They were making me work for 12 hours,” he said.He also alleged that he was pressured to continue working despite being unwell and that he eventually struggled even to afford food.'GIVEN UP HOPE OF RETURNING'With his situation worsening, Umashankar sought help from the Indian authorities.He said the Indian Embassy intervened after he approached it for assistance. According to him, the company owner was summoned to the embassy last Wednesday, where the matter was discussed for around four hours.Following the embassy's intervention, Umashankar said his passport was returned and arrangements were made for his journey back to India.“I had given up hope of returning to India,” he said.He also expressed gratitude to Union Minister and Muzaffarpur MP Rajbhushan Chaudhary and Tourism Minister Kedar Prasad Gupta for their role in helping him return.“Thanks to their initiative, I have been able to return to my homeland, to my soil,” he said.'DON'T WANT TO GO ABROAD AGAIN'The experience has also changed Umashankar's plans for the future.After spending four months in Senegal, he said he no longer wants to seek work abroad. He now plans to work as a labourer or take up any other job in India.“I don't want to go abroad again,” he said, recalling the difficulties he faced.- Ends(Inputs by Manibhushan Sharma)Published By: Karishma Saurabh KalitaPublished On: Sep 23, 2026 08:07 IST