KATHMANDU: Migrant workers in Israel’s agriculture sector are most exploited, a non-government sector report said. The report shows a grim picture of systematic violations of workers’ rights in the Israeli agricultural sector.

The report summarizes hundreds of complaints by agricultural workers and dozens of inspections by volunteers of Kav LaOved, a non-governmental organization working for labour rights. Israel employs some 30,000 migrant workers in the agricultural sector, mostly from Thailand, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Around 2,000 Nepalis are believed to be working in the agriculture sector in Israel.

Ninety percent of such workers work longer hours than allowed under Israeli law and without overtime payment, said the report which was presented to members of parliament. Living conditions of agriculture labourers are pathetic — 10-15 people live in 12 feet by 20 feet steel makeshifts. Moreover, they work more hours without overtime payment. “Agriculture labourers are working 10-12 hours a day,” the report said.

After the discussion in parliament last week, the Israeli Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labour has promised to solve the problem as soon as possible. “The department of foreign workers has been investigating the cases and will solve them by building cooperation with related agencies,” spokesperson said. Israel is a popular destination for Nepali migrant workers. Around 12,000 Nepalis are working in agriculture, manufacturing and service sectors. Of them, 10,000 are women working as caregivers. Nepalis have to pay $8000-10,000 to find work in Israel. The charge is three-fold than the government approved rate of $3,400.

Nepal government officials’ response to the report was lukewarm. “I know Nepalis are working in Israel’s agriculture sector under very bad conditions,” said a senior officer of Ministry of Labour and Transport Management (MoLTM). Despite frequent requests from Israel, MoLTM has not punished those Nepali foreign employment agencies who have been , indicted for fraud.

In September, Israel’s government had submitted a list of 16 Nepali outsourcing agencies to Nepal’s government asking it to cancel their licenses. Israel has banned Nepali workers since April 24, after Israeli Interior Ministry’s Home Department found more than 1,000 Nepalis in illegal status. Minister for Labour and Transport Management Mohammed Aftab Alam had visited Israel in September to get the ban lifted but the issue has not been resolved till date.