KATHMANDU, July 12: Senior officials at the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) are responsible for regulating manpower agencies across the country. However, the irony is that it appears to be the manpower agencies regulating the DoFE officials instead.

It has been found that some officials of the department have been colluding with the manpower agencies which is evident from a telephone conversation overheard DoEF officials saying: "When will you visit our office? Some victims are here to file complaints against you. Please visit us at your convenience. We will set a date for the victims accordingly."

Officials at the DoFE-- the government bodies to provide justice to the victims of fraud involving manpower agencies-- are often heard pleading with the operators of the manpower agencies as they receive a substantial number of fraud complaints involving unscrupulous manpower agencies. 

The officials at the DoFE do not have the patience to listen to the problems of the victims even for five minutes. Ironically, they manage time to receive  phone calls to please the operators of manpower companies. When victims try to voice their grievances, the employees act as if they are feeling bored. 

The operators of manpower companies who have defrauded the victims are asked, “What would you like to have in snacks?” 

Instead of taking action against the defrauding manpower company operators, the DoFE employees offer them a grand welcome.

It has been found that Excellent Manpower Service Pvt Ltd located in Bashundhara, Kathmandu has defrauded many youths by claiming that they will send them to work abroad with false promises of handsome salaries and other perks and benefits. The victim says that Bijay Shah is the director of the company who collected the money and did not send them abroad. The victims complain that even though six complaints have been filed against the manpower company, the DoFE has not been able to book the company. 

“There is evidence of fraud committed by the manpower company, but the DoFE refuses to take any complaint against the perpetrator, let alone taking action. Even after the complaint, the employees of the DoFE do not issue arrest warrants against the operators and agents of the manpower company involved in the fraud. On the contrary, they tell the victims to reconcile and reach an agreement,” said a victim. As the DoFE is not able to take a firm stance against the fraudulent manpower companies, the victims are being more victimized and the perpetrators are easily getting away.

The cases of fraud in foreign employment are increasing day by day. Another victim said that there are some manpower companies that make young people dream of foreign countries, collect money from them and do not send them abroad even after collecting money from them. Instead, they scold them and refuse to refund them. Even after complaining to the manpower company and the DoFE for the 20th time, some victims have not been able to get justice.

Every day, 200 to 300 victims come knocking on the door of the DoFE to beg for justice with proof of being swindled. But that door is not opened to the victims. The victims complained that they didn’t get justice even after providing documents to those who were duped into paying money to go to foreign employment. They opined that when the employees of the DoFE accept money from the manpower companies, they refuse to listen to the grievances of the victims.

Indrajit Yadav of Kalyanpur Municipality-4 of Siraha, who had gone to Saudi Arabia for foreign employment, returned home after not getting work, salary and other perks and benefits from the company as per the contract agreement. It has been a long time since he filed a complaint at the DoFE against the manpower company that defrauded. But he has not been able to get justice. The victim complains that Bashundhara-based Excellent Manpower Services Pvt Ltd  swindled 15 to 20 people of Siraha by stating that they will get attractive salaries in foreign employment. Yadav also paid Rs 250,000 to Excellent Manpower and went to Saudi Arabia. The victims say that the Excellent Manpower Company has swindled the youth of Siraha out of around Rs 4 million in the name of sending them to foreign employment with attractive remunerations.

“After reaching Saudi Arabia, we got neither job nor salary as per the contract. The manpower company said it will take four months but I returned to my country after not getting any job and salary even by that time,” Yadav said, “I am tired of frequenting the Excellent Manpower Company to get my money back. Instead of getting compensation, I regularly have to return by being insulted and scolded. I also went to the DoFE at least eight to nine  times to seek justice, but the employees of DoFE there said that the victims should negotiate with the manpower company and reconcile. According to Yadav, the DoEF officials told him that even if they pay back half the amount, he should receive it without any hesitation.

Every day, hundreds of victims reach the DoFE hoping for justice. Another victim said that rather than solving the problem, the employees of the DoFE seemed intent on causing more pain to the victims and this made them very disappointed. 

“We also have important work. We came from the district to seek justice, keeping all other works aside. Not everyone has the capacity to travel to Kathmandu from their districts to seek justice. Manpower companies and DoFE employees have financial status but lack intellectual thinking. Those who entered Kathmandu in the past wearing slippers, have become rich today and forgotten ethics. The employees of the DoFE, too, support the fraudulent manpower companies,” said the victims.

The employees of the DoFE are accused of refusing to file complaints against the manpower companies, who defraud the poor, luring them with attractive foreign jobs. “Humanity has been lost. Written documents are not accepted. The government must stand against the offenders and scammers,” say the victims, “There should not be any delay in filing and hearing complaints against fraudulent manpower companies and scammers.”

The victims have demanded for arrangements to file complaints at the local level against fraud in the name of foreign employment. Similarly, the victims demand that the government should conduct public awareness programs in villages to protect them from fraud in the name of foreign employment. Due to the government's weakness, negligence and lack of public awareness, swindling in the name of foreign employment is increasing. 

Director of the DoFE, Gurudatta Subedi says that legal action will be taken if there is evidence that the employees of the DoFE have been dilly-dallying to file the complaints of the victims and colluded with the fraudsters. “Our first priority is to provide justice to the victims,” he said.

Complaints against fraud are increasing at the DoFE, but these complaints are not heard. People’s Forum has provided free legal assistance to 2,882 people who were victims of fraud in the name of foreign employment. Of them, 2,521 are men and 361 are women. About 60.52 percent of aspiring workers are being duped in the name of foreign employment within Nepal and the rest are swindled on foreign lands.

 
• DoFE
 
• recruitment
 
• complaints