KATHMANDU, JULY 8 Nearly 1,500 Nepalis have taken re-entry labour permits after the government reopened the service to allow returnee migrants to go back to their labour destinations. On July 2, the government had opened the re-entry work permits for those on leave and those whose visas have not expired. Most re-employment permits have been issued for major labour destinations, including United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Japan and Qatar. Kumar Dahal, director general of Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), said that the labour office in Tahachal has issued 1,473 re-entry permits till today. While the DoFE’s Tahachal office started issuing permits from Thursday, the reopening date of labour offices located outside the valley has not been fixed yet, he informed. “Social distancing and other safety measures are being implemented while distributing the permits.” The service-seekers are currently required to fill out an online form and only visit the department’s office on the date given thereafter. At present, new workers are not allowed to go abroad. On June 21, a meeting of the COVID-19 Crisis Management Centre had allowed the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security to resume the service of granting re-entry permits for migrants. However, it is to be noted that the government has suspended regular flights till July 22. According to Dahal, those needing to leave the country before the flight suspension is eased will have to travel on rescue flights from Nepal after being granted the permission to do so. Earlier, the Corona Infection Prevention and Control High Level Coordinating Committee headed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Ishwor Pokharel had directed the government to suspend issuance of new labour permits of workers going for foreign employment from March 12. Following the directive, the department had indefinitely suspended the acceptance of applications for foreign employment. A version of this article appears in e-paper on July 9, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.