Govt urged not to move back from free visa, ticket decision

KATHMANDU: The government has been urged not to reverse its earlier decision, to provide free visa and tickets to foreign job aspirants going to six gulf countries and Malaysia, under any circumstance.

Various organisations on Sunday took their dissatisfaction to the streets against, what they argued, 'conspiracies' being hatched to make the decision in favour of foreign job aspirants a failure. They called on the government not to get influenced by manpower agents and move back from the decision.

It may be noted that the then Minister of Labour and Employment Tek Bahadur Gurung on July 6 last year decided to ensure the provision of free visa and tickets to Nepali migrant workers. Owners of the capital-based manpower agents, who seemed affirmative to the government’s decision in the beginning later demonstrated against it. They reiterated against the raid in 18 manpower agencies and arrests of government officials on fraud charge.

Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) announced that they would stop sending the Nepali migrant workers abroad, until July 6 decision was reversed. However, most of the manpower agencies did not follow the NAFEA decision and continued their business.

National Network for Safe Migration is organising various pressure-creating programmes, calling on the government to continue with the free ticket and visa system. It has already submitted a memorandum to the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Ministry of Labour and Employment and Foreign Employment Promotion Board, seeking the effective implementation of the July 6 decision, its Chair Siddhichandra Baral said.