The Nepali Embassy in Kuwait has repatriated 20 more workers stranded in the Gulf country due to the blatant labour and human rights violations by their employer Kharafi National Company.

 

The embassy said a group of 20 Nepalis was sent back home on Saturday night after rescuing them from their deplorable condition. 

 

The embassy did the latest rescue operation in coordination with the company and the Foreign Employment Promotion Board (FEPB). The embassy paid for the air-tickets of these 20 Nepalis with the money sent by the board. However, the embassy did not have to pay fines for these rescued workers as they still had valid residency permits.

 

According to unofficial estimates, Kharafi National left nearly 300 Nepali workers to fend for themselves. From these, 94 workers approached the embassy for help after their company stopped giving them work and wages. 

 

With this latest rescue act, the number of rescued Nepalis, working on different sites of Kharafi National Company has reached 61.

 

Hundreds of workers from Nepal have struggled to live in Kuwait because their employer did not pay wages for months and did not renew their resident permits which made their status illegal.

 

Earlier, the embassy had rescued 17 Nepali workers whose residence permits had become invalid. Of the 17 workers supported by the Kuwaiti government, a group of 15 Nepalis was sent back on January 18. Two other Nepalis returned home after Nepali welfare clubs in Kuwait paid their airfare and penalty for overstaying without valid visa.

 

Last December, the first batch of 21 Nepalis was rescued jointly by the embassy and the recruiting agency. The SOS Manpower Pvt Ltd, which had supplied workers to the company, paid for the whole rescue operation.

 

“Efforts for resolving problems of other stranded Nepali workers and sending them back to Nepal are still on,” the embassy said in a press statement.

 

According to the press note, the embassy will issue Travel Document to those workers without valid passport if they visit the embassy with required documents.

 

“Run Away Cases, or those Nepalis who don’t report to their company or domestic employers, can visit the embassy with original or even duplicate copies of identity documents like passports or citizenship cards, for starting the process to return to Nepal. Those with no documents will also be helped to return to Nepal,” the embassy statement added.