The Amnesty International has started a nationwide campaign to raise awareness about migrant workers’ problems among people at the grassroots.

The move dubbed “caravan’ came shortly after the AI released a report on the condition of migrant workers.Minister for Labour and Transportation Management Sarita Giri inaugurated the campaign amid a function in the Capital on Wednesday.Besides disseminating information on the problems facing the foreign employment industry, the campaign intends to pressurise political leaders and other stakeholders to guarantee the implementation of Foreign Employment Act 2007 and uphold migrant workers’ basic human rights.

Lawmakers from various political parties committed to work for the welfare of the migrant workers. In its latest report, AI claimed that many Nepali workers are subject to exploitation and forced labour in the Gulf and Malaysia mainly due to the rogue recruitment agencies. The report claimed that migrant workers are forced to take loan for up to 35 percent interest rate against 14 percent determined by the law. It stated that a large number of Nepali women migrant workers suffer due to unfriendly laws in the country, dishonest agents and employers abroad.The report claimed that women constitute 30 percent of the total migrant workers of Nepal although the official data puts it at 3 percent.

The report based on the interviews of 150 migrant workers found 90 percent of them were duped by recruitment agencies. These deceptions included denial of weekly off and much less salary than promised in the contract.Speaking at the programme, lawmaker Gagan Thapa asked the government to maintain profiles of the migrant workers, including returnees. He stressed the need to ban workers from seeking Indian route and curb unscrupulous acts at the airport. Minister Giri committed to working towards making the foreign employment decent, organised and safe.

Newly appointed director general at the Department of Foreign Employment, Man Bahadur BK, admitted he had little knowledge about the foreign employment industry. He said he would do his level best to improve the migrant workers’ conditions. AI Asia-Pacific Programme Coordinator Robert Godden made a presentation on the report and highlighted AI’s work.

Published on: 22 March 2012 | The Himalayan Times