Nepal has requested the Israeli government to open its job market for Nepali workers. Israel was a lucrative destination for Nepali women before the destination closed its doors to caregivers on April 24, 2010.

Nepal has urged the Israeli government to open its job market, said Nepali ambassador to Israel Pralhad Kumar Prasai while briefing about a high level discussion between Nepali and Israeli labour officials. “We requested the Israeli government to open the caregiver sector as soon as possible,” he said. Israel is the safest destination for Nepali women in the Middle East and Persian Gulf. Therefore, the government has been giving priority to open the destination, he said. The country has rare cases of abuse and exploitation by employers as compared to Gulf countries — Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain — though caregivers also work at home like housemaids.

According to Prasai, the Nepali team led by secretary of ministry of labour and employment Suresh Man Shrestha proposed to his Israeli counterparts to start government-to-government hiring process.

The Employment Permit System of recruitment was proposed to Israel, he said. “Both parties have agreed to continue with talks on the issue.”

However, outsourcing agencies have criticised the move saying that the government cannot act as a mediator. The government’s duty is to regulate and facilitate outsourcing agencies in a liberal economy but the government is more focused in doing business, said president of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies Bal Bahadur Tamang.

“The government must promote outsourcing agencies that follow good business practices,” he said, adding that the decision will be suicidal for the government. According to Tamang, the government opted for government-to-government hiring process after failing to punish guilty outsourcing agencies.

Israel has urged the government to punish those outsourcing agencies who charge mediation fee that is more than what was prescribed in 2010. The destination has provided proof of cheating by outsourcing agencies to the Nepali government. Israel closed its doors to Nepali caregivers when its Department of Population found over 1,000 illegal Nepali caregivers three years back.

About 7,500 Nepalis are believed to be working in Israel including 500 workers in the agriculture sector. Nepalis working in the caregiver sector have been earning around $1,200 (Rs 104,500) every month. The earning is approximately six times more than what Nepali housemaids earn — $200 (Rs 17,500) — in Gulf countries.

Published on: 1 March 2012 | The Himalayan Times