The Ministry of Labor and Employment (MoLE) has refused to allocate money from the Foreign Employment Promotion Board (FEPB) fund for rescuing 126 Nepali workers currently stranded in Libya. 

Stating that the Nepali workers went to Libya illegally, the ministry has decided to seek alternative funding for repatriating them. MoLE has written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to do the needful after making further investigations into the seriousness of the case. 

“We had a conversation with the chief secretary and officials at MoFA about initiating the necessary arrangements,” informed State Minister at MoLE, Tek Bahadur Gurung, adding, “MoFA will carry out further investigations and bring the matter before the cabinet by Thursday.”

State Minister Gurung added that before this, funds for rescuing Nepalis stranded in Israel had been arranged through the cabinet. A high-level meeting held at MoLE Wednesday decided to seek alternative funding for rescuing the trapped workers. The heads of FEPB and the Department of Foreign Employment and high-level officials from MoLE were present at the meeting. 

After the meeting, the executive director of FEPB told Republica that FEPB can release money immediately for rescuing workers from overseas only if the workers in question have contribution to the fund. “As per the law, we can release funds to rescue Nepalis only if they had gone abroad legally. In the case of the Nepalis in Libya, we might have to take a special decision if we are to allocate any money from the fund.” 

Each migrant worker has to deposit Rs. 1,000 with FEPB before departing overseas, in case he or she needs its services. Nepal´s embassy in Cairo, Egypt on Monday asked FEPB to make necessary arrangements for repatriating the stranded Nepalis at the earliest. As per the embassy, the Nepalis need return tickets from Tunisia to Kathmandu. A sum of around Rs. 4 million is required for the return tickets.

The stranded Nepalis had entered the north African country illegally via India a year ago. They were working for the Korean company, Doosan Heavy Industries and Construction, at Sirte some 300 km west of the conflict zone around Benghazi. They have valid passports and were working legally in Libya. Meanwhile, around 200 Nepalis have contacted the embassy, expressing their wish to return home. 

The government in 2010 banned Nepali workers from going to Libya but they have been going there via illegal routes. The embassy in Cairo estimates that around 500 Nepalis are working in Libya.

Published on: 7 August 2014 | The Kathmandu Post