Roshan Sedhai

Eight Nepali migrant workers, who were deported by Kuwaiti authorities some two weeks ago, are demanding compensation from the government. The workers, bearing handwritten passports, were turned away on suspicion of being Bangladeshi.

Citing the misuse of Nepali passports by Bangladeshi and Indian workers, Kuwait has tightened entry for workers carrying handwritten passports. The deported workers claim they were turned away simply because they resembled Bangladeshi migrant workers and not due to lack of any legal documents.

The victims told the Post that not only were they barred from entering Kuwait but were also subjected to mental torture and mistreatment. “They (Kuwaiti officials) kept us in a tiny closet for almost 12 hours and kept asking if we were Bangladeshi,” said Kumar Giri, one of the deportees. “They told us our passports seemed fake and our faces looked Bangladeshi. Forget food, they did not even give us a drop of water or let us go to the bathroom.” 

Giri said that a few Bangladeshis joined his group of Nepalis at the Kuwaiti immigration. An official then accused five of them of being Bangladeshi. One Nepali worker with a Machine Readable Passport (MRP) was let in after an hour of questioning. The other four were kept in a small and congested room.   

To add to their injury, the deportees were further detained by Nepali immigration officials at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on their return. The workers had paid Rs 53,500 each to go to Kuwait. 

Among the eight deportees Kumar Giri, Ram Chandra Bharati, Padma Raj Tiwari and Ram Prasad Poudel had gone through the Reliance Recruitment Service, while the other four Sailendra Kumar Yadav, Islam Miya, Mohammad Jakir and Biniram Mechi had gone through Bhandari Overseas. Ghanshyam Kafle of Bhandari Overseas said he paid Rs 10,000 each at the TIA to release the deportees.

“I took the workers to the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) and the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA). They have assured us that they will initiate the required process to reimburse the workers,” said Kafle. Chairman of Reliance Recruitment Service, Khagendra Chand, said the workers should be given due compensation as it was not their fault and neither of the manpower companies. “It is not just a matter of compensation. This is a serious problem caused by fraudulent work.” 

NAFEA Chairman Bal Bahadur Tamang said they have asked stakeholders to cover the workers’ travel costs. He informed the Post that a letter has been written to the DoFE requesting full compensation through the worker’s welfare fund. 

“The government’s carelessness in disseminating passports to other nationals and its inability to ensure the safety of workers will surely affect the economy,” said Tamang.

DoFE head Purna Chandra Bhattarai said he has consulted with the Nepali mission in Kuwait regarding the problem. “We are doing our best to resolve the problem through diplomatic procedures.” 

Bangladeshi nationals holding Nepali handwritten passports are often arrested both in Nepal and Kuwait.  

Published on: 24 June 2012 | The Kathmandu Post