Recruiting agencies on Sunday picketed the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) demanding withdrawal of a new provision that mandates foreign employers to provide free visa and free ticket to Nepali migrant workers.

Around 300 protesters chanted slogans and displayed placards outside the DoFE’s demanding resignation of Sate Minister of Labour and Employment Tek Bahadur Gurung and end corruption at the government agency. The new provision will come into effect on July 6. Officials and foreign employment experts say the new provision will bring reduce recruitment fee.

Recruiting agencies, however, claim that the decision was “immature” and lacks support of receiving countries. They claim a significant chunk of the recruitment fee goes to accredited agents working for labour receiving agencies and in the grassroots levels. They say the new provision aims to benefit few powerful people while displacing hundreds of recruiting agencies.

“The protest will not stop unless the government corrects its decision. We have no problem with free visa and free ticket but the government should take prior consent of the labour receiving governments,” said Tanka Raut, a protester. According to the new provision, aspiring migrant workers will have to pay just for health check-ups, orientation,  welfare fund and up to Rs 10,000 as service charge. Only migrants going to Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait will benefit from the provision..

Published on: 29 June 2015 | The Kathmandu Post