The Ministry of Labour and Transportation Management has decided to adopt new measures to tackle the increasing migrant workers related fraud cases from Baisakh (mid-April). The ministry is expected to compulsorily attach colourful stickers filled with basic information in the passport of all departing migrant workers. 

The new system is the improvised form of the old sticker system. Earlier, the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) was using simple sticker.

With the implementation of the proposed provision, the workers will easily learn about the nature of their visa, work and employers. The use of colorful stickers also help the workers identify whether their approval is individual or organisational. A number of fraud cases registered at the department show that most workers were duped by sending them with individual work permits without the knowledge of the workers.   

According to the proposed rule, the department will use the green and light yellow sticker in the passport of the workers going abroad with individual work permit. Similarly, red and light blue stickers will be used in the passport of workers who are leaving the country with organisational work permit through manpower agencies.

The DoFE will also mention minimum information like security code, serial number, passport number, name of hiring company, country, validity date, verification of respective Nepali missions and name of outsourcing company in the sticker attached to the passport of workers with organisational work permit. In the case of individual workers, everything except the name of the manpower companies will be included.   

Director General of the DoFE Purna Chandra Bhattarai said the move will mark a clear distinction between individual and organisational workers, bar manpower companies from sending individual workers, provide clear information about the work and assure the safety of workers. Ministry officials said the minister-level meeting decided to adopt the system after it received a written proposal from the department.

Meanwhile, DoFE has made it mandatory to submit “calling visa” before allowing the final approval for workers going to Malaysia from Sunday. Malaysia is one of the major destinations of Nepali migrant workers. “Calling Visa” is the permission given to hiring companies by the Malaysian Home ministry to provide visa to the proposed workers.

According to the new rule, the hiring companies have to submit the selection list as pre-approved by the Malaysian Home Ministry in order to get final approval for visa. Such visa has to mention the name of the worker, hiring company, passport number and nature of work.

“After Qatar, we are focusing our attention to Malaysia. Since manpower companies are required to submit the calling visa in the Malaysian embassies, there won’t be any problem from the new provision,” said DoFE Director General Bhattarai. He said the step would help to tally authenticity of proposed company and work. Some representatives of the manpower companies are unhappy with the new rule, claiming it would hamper their business.  

Published on: 3 April 2012 | The Kathmandu Post