Migrant workers joining major overseas jobs in Gulf countries — Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait — and Malaysia are paying around $ 38 (Rs 2,960) for an insurance for a job period of one year. Migrant worker pay around Rs 6,000-Rs 9,000 for a job period of two to three years. Gulf countries hire Nepali workers for two years and Malaysia contracts workers for three years. 

 

“Insurance companies sold premiums worth Rs 594.1 million to migrant workers,” said director at Department of Foreign Employment Purna Chandra Bhattarai. “This increase can be attributed to the department’s mandatory insurance policy for migrant workers who return to Nepal and re-enter the job market.” 

 

According to the department, about 272,841 Nepalis have joined foreign jobs in the current fiscal year. “Among them, 55,107 had re-entered as migrant workers,” he said. Nepalis joining jobs in Qatar, the first preferred destination for Nepali migrant workers since last March, deposited an insurance premium worth Rs 130.2 million while workers joining Malaysian jobs contributed around Rs 111.1 million followed by Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait. The destinations had hired 52,652, 41,075, 32,760, 30196 and 9,376 workers respectively. 

 

Insurance at home provides welfare benefits to migrant workers through the Foreign Employment Promotion Board. The board provides a medical facility of up to Rs 100,000 and a compensation worth Rs 150,000 to each deceased migrant worker’s family who die at the job place. 

 

Likewise, the board is offering scholarships to children of migrant workers and refunding the orientation fee of women migrant workers.

 

Outsourcers unite

Nepali outsourcing agencies who were divided into two groups — Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) and Foreign Employment Association (FEA) — united on Wednesday. The umbrella organisations united during a joint meeting, said president of the newly formed body Som Lal Bataju. Earlier, about 760 outsourcers were associated with NAFEA and 151 outsourcers were at FEA.