Roshan Sedhai

Giving two hoots to a ban that is in place when it comes to going to Afghanistan for employment, manpower agencies and agents have made the war-torn country their new minting machine. Due to lack of proper government monitoring and partly due to the greed of aspiring workers, an increasing number of Nepalis are being cheated as they set out with dreams to earn money in Afghanistan.

The Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) has received over 270 complaints this year alone. The agents did not only embezzle around Rs 90 million, but also left the workers stranded in India, Afghanistan and other countries.

A few months ago, 214 duped workers filed complaints at the DoFE against Kathmandu-based Kankai Communication. Durga Niraula, the owner of the manpower agency, and his partners had left the workers to fend for themselves in India after collecting a whopping Rs 6.8 million from them. A few weeks ago, around 10 workers were held captives for three months in Bagram in Afghanistan. Statements given by the workers reveal that most of them were promised work in American companies and a handsome salary. Very recently, Dil Bahadur Shrestha and Chandra Bahadur Basnet filed a complaint against Prakash Dhimal of Swayambhu. They claimed that Dhimal took Rs 1 million from them while promising jobs in Afghanistan. DoFE Director General Purna Chandra Bhattarai said both workers and agents are responsible for such cases.

“Workers think they can return to Nepal from Afghanistan with money stuffed in sacks. They do not wait to think about the risks involved and other issues when they pay the agents,” Bhattarai said.

DoFE officials say Indian cities and Dubai have become a “safe haven” for agents to the workers believe that they are being taken to Afghanistan. “Well organised agents are the ones deceiving workers. Upon seeing a good office and the sham management and hearing sweet promises, workers believe they won’t be cheated,” said Hari Singh Dhami, a legal officer at the DoFE. ‘’They would not have landed in trouble had they once visited our office or the Nepali mission in the UAE or India.’’ Considering the volatile situation in Afghanistan, the DoFE bars Nepalis from working there, except in “green zones” like the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) barracks and foreign embassies. The DoFE has decided to issue red corner notices against fraud manpower agents who are hiding in “foreign destinations.” Based on complaints filed by victims, the department is planning to issue such notices to agents involved in the Poland fraud case, members of Opportunity Manpower and Well International Manpower and agents involved in Afghanistan fraud cases, Dhami said. Around six months ago, Well International had duped 600 workers of Rs 130 million by promising them jobs in Poland.

Published on: 17 July 2012 | The Kathmandu Post