Around 35,000 prospective migrant workers, who were denied entry through the Tribhuvan International Airport for some procedural issues, have started leaving the country via other routes that involve illegal commissions and risks. 

Although exact data are hard to come by, the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) claims at least 35,000 workers, with visas in their hands, are currently stranded after they failed to obtain the final work approval from the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE).

NAFEA said workers going to the Gulf through around 500 member agencies are facing problems getting the approval due to incongruities in the job details, including profession, salary and sponsors.

“For instance, some demand letters came for ‘helpers’, but the employer issued visas for ‘labourers.’ They (DoFE) are not ready to issue the labour permit although there is no change in the sponsors and the salary,” said an owner of a manpower agency who refused to be named.

While the government blames recruiting companies for inviting such problems, the companies say the government should take the entire blame as they had earlier warned the stakeholders of a ‘looming crisis.’ 

NAFEA Chairman Bal Bahadur Tamang said the problem occurred after the government denied the final work approval, citing discrepancies in the job details in the demand letter and the visa. According to him, ‘minor errors’ in the paperwork have created hurdles in acquiring the final approval from the department.

The DoFE has become stricter in the verification process after three dozen of its officials were arrested by the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority for their alleged involvement in irregularities. 

“Hundreds of visas are likely to expire very soon and thousands of workers will leave the country through the illegal route without the work approval if the government does not act quickly. These workers will neither have life insurance nor deposits in the workers’ welfare fund,” said Tamang. 

NAFEA representatives last week took up the issue with Chief Secretary Lila Mani Poudel, Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office Krishna Hari Baskota, Labour Secretary Suresh Man Shrestha and CIAA chief Lok Man Singh Karki. In the meetings, NAFEA members had urged the government to do the needful. 

Officials at the Ministry of Labour and Employment admitted to the problems but said the matter is not as serious as portrayed by the recruiting agencies. The officials said only workers with false job details are facing the problem.

Buddhi Khadka, head of the foreign employment division at the ministry, said only manpower companies trying to send workers through illegal means are facing the problem. According to him, the DoFE has been issuing the final approval to workers as per the required documents.

Published on: 18 October 2013 | The Kathmandu Post