KATHMANDU, MARCH 14
The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security has sent a proposal to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal who also holds the Labour, Employment and Social Security portfolio for amending the ministry's procedure to grant labour permits to Nepali migrant workers from destination countries. PM Dahal is expected to okay the procedure soon.
Once the procedure is amended, Nepali migrant workers abroad won't have to return to Nepal to renew or seek new labour permits upon expiry of their labour permits.
Until now, the ministry has been issuing labour permits that are valid only for two years as a result of which many migrant workers have to return to Nepal to get their labour permits extended beyond two years.
Some migrant workers who do not want to take the pain of coming back to Nepal to get their labour permits renewed, have gone out of status in destination countries even when the destination countries have issued them visa for more than two years.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security Danduraj Ghimire, told THT that labour rules were problematic until now and hence they decided to simply allow Nepali migrant workers get their labour permits renewed for extended period from the Nepali embassy in destination countries or Nepali missions close to their destination countries.
"At present we issue labour permits only for two years, but a Nepali migrant worker may have visa for more than two years. If they do not want to come to Nepal to get their work permit extended, then they could lose their status in the destination countries," Ghimire added. He said South Korea gives five-year visa to Nepali migrant workers and it would be unwise of the Government of Nepal to issue labour permits to Nepali migrant workers for only two years.
The ministry has also proposed to change the rules governing demand letters sent by prospective recruiting countries of foreign countries.
Until now, those companies can get their demand letter attested from the concerned Nepali missions abroad. Some companies fail to get their documents cleared by the Nepali embassy for up to two years due to the work load at Nepali embassies.
Ghimire said the ministry has proposed to change the current rules whereby a foreign company can send demand letter to a committee of the Department of Foreign Employment, which can also attest the document. Service seekers can use online services for other related services.
President of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies Rajendra Bhandari said the changes proposed by the ministry regarding the demand letter was a welcome move as it would remove hassles faced by recruiting agencies.
European companies adhere to standard human rights instruments and offer good pay and perks to migrant workers and provisions should be such that they could get everything online.
He said simplification of the attestation of demand letters would help Nepal expand labour markets for Nepali migrant workers in Europe and elsewhere.
"At present most of our migrant workers go to Gulf countries and Malaysia. With the easing of attestation process, our migrant workers could easily go to European countries and countries that offer comparatively more pay and perks," he added.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 14 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
