Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking the repatriation of 21 fishermen, who were stranded in Iran for more than six months.
The fishermen — eight from Kanniyakumari, seven from Tirunelveli and six from Thoothukudi districts — who worked in three boats, are neither allowed to return to India nor allowed to continue fishing, for which they were engaged as contract fishing labourers.
The Iranian employers had not paid the fishermen their share as per the terms of employment, Mr. Palaniswami said.
“They lost hope of receiving a fair remuneration from their employers and requested the employers to facilitate their return to India, which was summarily refused by them,” he contended.
The fishermen’s passports were in the custody of the local employers, who had chased them out of their accommodation, he added.