News of the sorry state of Nepali workers in foreign locations is all too common, clearly pointing at an urgent need to correct the massive anomalies plaguing the foreign employment sector. Considering that the money that these workers send from abroad is equivalent to over 17 percent of Nepal’s GDP, this area certainly deserves much more attention.
One of the biggest problems besetting the sector is the prevalence of spurious manpower agents and individual brokers who sneak out Nepali workers illegally, primarily from India’s Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi. The Foreign Employment Act, 2007 clearly states that Nepali workers headed abroad can only fly to their destinations from the national airport. In case that is not possible and a foreign airport has to be used, it is mandatory to seek permission from the Department of Foreign Employment but, sadly, this rule is given a pass more often than not.
Besides cracking down on such dubious agents and brokers, one of the first tasks that the government needs to undertake is to enter into labor agreements with countries that have been opened up for foreign employment. Ironically, out of 106 countries that are open for work (Israel has stopped visa issuance since the past five months), our government has labor agreements with only four countries—Bahrain, Korea, Qatar and UAE. Much can be inferred from the fact that we don’t have such a crucial agreement even with Saudi Arabia, which has over 500,000 Nepali workers. Considering that almost all those employed abroad are blue-collar workers, which means that their need for protection is higher, a formal agreement is not only necessary but mandatory.
Primarily, the root of all the prevailing ills is the ignorance of workers flying abroad. Hence, something that is of vital importance is to conduct sensitization programs that informs and educates potential workers about the pros and cons of going abroad for work. Additionally, because potential employers would expect at least a basic know-how of things from their employees, Nepali workers selected for work abroad should be taken through an orientation program, which would educate them on basic things like how to operate basic electrical household appliances. The provision for orientation programs exists on paper but again this vital aspect is ignored.
In the absence of adequate employment opportunities here in the country, most Nepalis are forced to fly abroad for their livelihood. In the process, a lot of them sometimes end up spending their lifetime’s earning or selling their land or property just to buy their air tickets and pay brokerage fees. Once abroad, they certainly deserve better. We hope that our government will take up this issue seriously. Meanwhile, Republica also calls on the government to immediately rescue the18 workers stranded in Sri Lanka.
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