It’s been over a week since a batch of labourers went to the east Asian country.

Chandan Kumar Mandal

The global covid-19 outbreak has impacted Nepali migrant labourers awaiting their turn to go to South Korea under a government scheme.

The Employment Permit System (EPS) Korea Section, under the Department of Foreign Employment, said it has temporarily stopped sending Nepali workers to the east Asian country in view of the coronovirus outbreak.

“The departure of Nepali migrant workers has been temporarily halted for now,” said Krishna Prasad Khanal, director at the EPS Korea Section. “It, however, doesn’t mean that labour migration to South Korea has been stopped completely,” said Khanal. “We will reschedule their flights when the right time comes.”

Every week, dozens of the Nepali workers head to South Korea after passing their Korean language and skill tests. However, it’s been over a week since a batch of Nepali workers left for South Korea.

Earlier this month, the Nepal chapter of the Human Resources Development Service of South Korea requested the government not to send new workers to the country in wake of the public health crisis.

Following the request, the Foreign Employment Department assured the Koreans that the flights of Nepali workers, who show symptoms similar to those infected with covid-19, would be postponed until they fully recover.

“A formal decision hasn’t been made. But for the time being, we have postponed flights [to Korea],” said Bhola Nath Guragain, a spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Employment. “Those who want to go on their own individual visa can go,” he said. “We can’t stop them. But, the group of workers the government sends is not going due to coronavirus concerns.”

The public health scourge, which started from China in December, has been rapidly spreading in South Korea.

Nepal’s embassy in Seoul also issued a statement recently, urging citizens in Korea to stay alert in view of the outbreak. According to South Korea's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, coronavirus cases in the country jumped well into four figures on Wednesday. Local media reported the country has already recorded 12 deaths attributed to the virus.

Nepali migrant workers consider South Korea as a safe destination. A migrant worker can stay up to four years and 10 months in South Korea. So far, more than 60,000 Nepali workers have gone to the country since 2008.

Published on: 27 February 2020 | The Kathmandu post