The government has announced free visa and free ticket to all migrant workers aspiring to work in seven countries, including Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait and Malaysia.

As per the new arrangement, migrant workers will have to pay only up to Rs 17,000, which will cover medical test fee, insurance and the amount to be deposited at Foreign Employment Promotion Board (FEPB), for employment in the aforementioned seven labor destinations.

Stating that many unscrupulous recruiting agencies are found fleecing migrant workers, State Minister for Labor Tek Bahadur Gurung said the government will issue work permits only after ensuring that the migrant workers are given free air tickets and visa.

"Though the government has set a ceiling on fee that migrant workers can be charged for employment in Malaysia and some other Gulf countries, recruitment agencies have been found charging much above the ceiling set by the government. But with the government's announcement, migrant workers will now have to pay only up to Rs 17,000 for employment in the seven countries.

Following the decision, the earlier ceiling of Rs 80,000 for Malaysia and Rs 70,000 for Gulf countries has been automatically scrapped. Recruiting agencies can charge aspiring workers only Rs 10,000, if the amount has not been released by their employers.

"Aspirant migrant workers are forced to pay huge sums of money to recruiting agencies," said Minister Gurung, adding, "Recruiting agencies pay huge commissions to agents, while bringing in demand for Nepali migrant workers. So they charge the migrant workers heavily." He claimed that the demand for Nepali workers will increase with the government's announcement. "The new provision is in favor of both the recruiting agencies and aspiring migrant workers."

The government has formed an 11-member monitoring committee for effective implementation of the new provision. Recruiting agencies found charging more money to migrant workers will be punished.

The MoLE has forwarded the proposal to law ministry for consent and informed that it will implement the decision five days after publishing it in the national gazette.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DoFE), more than 3,500,000 Nepalis have taken work permit till date while 1,500 to 1,700 Nepalis leave the country for foreign employment on an average every day.

Published on: 13 June 2015 | Republica