According to IOM, 100 percent of Nepali migrant workers in the Middle East and Gulf countries have their identification documents withheld, 80 percent are confined to their place of employment, 76 percent have their wages withheld, 61 percent have endured physical abuse, 52 percent have reported excessive working hours and 50 percent have been deprived of basic nourishment likes food and drinks. Reports about exploitation and trafficking of Nepali migrant workers are carried by national newspapers frequently."Many Nepali migrant workers are forced to live in deplorable conditions. The project will rescue those who are abused, trafficked, exploited or stranded without assistance. However, returning the stranded workers to their home country can be quite challenging due to various obstacles," said Sarah Craggs, IOM's regional migrant assistance specialist, speaking at the orientation program for the newly launched project organized in the capital on Wednesday.
Project coordinator Purnima Limbu informed that the project would be run in collaboration with the government bodies, local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other agencies. The collaborative efforts will include capacity building trainings for service providers on victim protection and referral mechanisms, and shelter management for local NGOs and the government officials.
"We will partner with the government and various NGOs for advocacy. They will play a crucial role in identifying victims, referring the case, identifying their family and help them reintegrate with their communities," added Limbu.
The two-year project, which is funded by the government of Qatar, aims to benefit 200 Nepali returnee migrants workers from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Jordan, Lebanon and Malaysia.
"Although we are funded for assisting just 200 victims, migrant workers in dire situation can be rescued through other projects as well. We need to keep the pressure and keep working together," added Sarah, the IOM's migrant assistance specialist.
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