While people in Karnataka’s tier-2 and tier-3 cities continue to gravitate towards Gulf countries for employment opportunities, those in Bengaluru are eyeing jobs in European countries like Poland, Hungary, Luxembourg and Austria, according to industry insiders.
Bengaluru: Shady recruiting agencies in Bengaluru are taking advantage of the growing demand for blue-collar jobs in Europe, as the working class looks for employment beyond the Gulf countries.
Under the guise of providing work visas, these fly-by-night operators are scamming jobseekers out of lakhs of rupees and shutting up shop within months.
While people in Karnataka’s tier-2 and tier-3 cities continue to gravitate towards Gulf countries for employment opportunities, those in Bengaluru are eyeing jobs in European countries like Poland, Hungary, Luxembourg and Austria, according to industry insiders.
“The Gulf was popular among Bengalureans about a decade ago, but in the last eight-odd years, there hasn’t been much improvement in the standard of living of blue-collar immigrants in these countries,” a government official told DH. “These illegal agencies are using this opportunity to lure in people with “well-paying jobs in Europe”.
While a driver making Rs 30,000 a month in Bengaluru may earn just Rs 10,000-15,000 more in any Gulf country, the pay in Europe is around Rs 1 lakh.
“The jobs are varied — from kitchen help to warehouse workers, janitors to supermarket salesmen and so on. Due to the high salary, people end up falling for the trap,” the official said.
Investigations by the Protector of Emigrants (PoE) office in Bengaluru led to a crackdown on two such unlicensed consultancies in September. Several similar cases have been filed in 2025.
Currently, Bengaluru has only 37 active registered overseas recruitment agencies. According to the Emigration Act, the agencies are permitted to charge a service fee of Rs 30,000, plus GST. Dozens of others operate under the radar, according to the official.