Agreement will be signed within a week to send caregivers under G2G initiative

Kathmandu, August 4

Israeli labour market is reopening soon for Nepali foreign employment aspirants, after a gap of six years. The government is all set to sign an agreement with Israel within a week to send caregivers to Israel under government-to-government (G2G) initiative.

Today the Ministry of Labour and Employment said the agreement would be signed within a week by fixing a suitable time. This is the second time the government is adopting the G2G model to send workers abroad, following the implementation of the Employment Permit System to send workers to South Korea.

“The agreement will allow sending caregivers to Israel under a pilot project,” said Surya Prasad Shrestha, officiating secretary of MoLE. According to him, Israeli Ambassador to Nepal and Director General of the Department of Foreign Employment will sign the agreement. He, however, did not reveal the quota to be provided to Nepal under the pilot project.

Israel is considered a lucrative labour destination among Nepali foreign employment aspirants to work as caregivers. It had stopped hiring Nepali caregivers sent through manpower agencies from April 9, 2009, stating that the agencies were collecting service fees haphazardly from the workers.

Earlier, Nepal had requested Israel to hire 300 caregivers under the pilot project, while Israel had shown interest to take less than 150 workers. A source at MoLE said to sign the agreement, both the governments have already fixed basic parameters, such as age limit, educational qualification and salary for the workers.

“Aspirants are required to have at least acquired school-leaving certificate, be well trained and must not be below the age of 24,” the source said, adding that the salary would be around $1,100 per month.

Good salary and migrant worker-friendly local labour laws are considered as attractive factors for migrants eyeing jobs in Israel. Even though Israel stopped hiring workers sent by manpower agencies long ago, many aspirants have been leaving for jobs in Israel though their personal contacts, obtaining ‘individual work permit’ from DoFE.

The government statistics show that a total of 450 individuals, including 319 females, left for Israel during the last fiscal year. Even though there is no official record, it is estimated that around 6,000 Nepalis are working in Israel at present as caregivers and agricultural workers.