The Special Administrative Region of the People´s Republic of China has sought 200 Nepali security guards arguing that no one can do the job as good as the “Gorkha Force”. [break]
Macao is considered the biggest casino hub in Asia.
The under-construction Galaxy Mega Resort that will also have a huge massage center was eyening Nepali security guards right from the beginning. The resort will come into operation two months later. It will have a total of five five-star hotels and massage parlors.
Of the 200 Nepali security guards that Galaxy is seeking, 48 have already been taken in, of which 20 arrived from Nepal while 28 switched jobs from the Grand Lisboa Hotel in Macao.
This is the first time that such a huge number of Nepali security guards are being taken by Macao over the past four years. Macao is considered safer for workers and the pay is also relatively attractive.
“The door has reopened in Macao for Nepali workers,” said Trilok Gurung, whose Ekta International has been supplying Nepali security guards to Macao. “After Galaxy started taking in Nepali security guards, others have also shown interest. This is a good sign,” he added.
Eight months ago, Macao stopped granting visas to Nepali workers in a bid to check illegal entry of migrant workers and to control crime, among other reasons. But it is not as easy as in the past to enter Macao.
Until eight months ago, a Nepali national could get a one-month on-arrival visa and could travel through Macao, or seek job there. But now, Nepali nationals need to get visa from the Chinese Embassy, according to Gurung. “It is not easy. But we will fill the vacancies for security guards within a month,” he added.
The government of Macao adopted a policy of reducing the intake of foreign labor force after being pressured by trade unions to prioritize opportunities to locals.
As a result, the contracts of Nepali workers employed by hotels and casinos were not renewed, and about 600 Nepali workers returned to Nepal. The Nepali workers who remained in Macao were also working with a sense of job insecurity. But now, they are assured that their job is not as risk.
Of around 2,000 Nepali workers in Macao, most work as security guards. “They prefer Nepali workers for security guards as they believe the Gorkha Force is valiant and loyal,” said Purna Gurung, a security guard working for Hotel Landmark. “Of the 34 hotels, casinos and jails in Macao, 25 have Nepali security guards,” he added.
Apart from the policy of prioritizing employment for locals, a factor that went against Nepali workers was the perception of the Macao government that some Nepali workers were living there illegally and were involved in drug trafficking. However, the renewed interest in Nepali workers is expected to improve things for Nepali workers in Macao.
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