KATHMANDU, May 17: Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Sharat Singh Bhandari has announced that the government will initiate diplomatic efforts at the state level to reopen the working and domestic worker visa categories in Hong Kong, which have been halted since 2005.
Minister Bhandari stated that as the government is exploring new labour destinations, Hong Kong remains an attractive option. Hence, there is a commitment to push forward diplomatic engagement from the government level.
During a meeting at the ministry in Singha Durbar with a delegation led by Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) Women Secretary Radhika Gurung, he said, “Previously, due to our continuous efforts, skill-based visas were reopened. Gradually, discussions with Hong Kong alone will not be sufficient to open visas for working and domestic female workers; it is also necessary to advance diplomatic efforts with Beijing. The government is aware of this and is mindful of it.”
Hong Kong, the Pearl of the Orient, will shine again
Earlier, in July 2024, Hong Kong had opened skill-based visas for skilled workers.
In the meeting, Women Secretary Gurung reminded that the NRN Hong Kong has repeatedly requested the government to initiate diplomatic efforts to reopen the working visa. She said, “Currently, there are around 30,000 Nepalis in Hong Kong. Due to factors such as weather, security, and salary, Hong Kong remains an attractive destination for Nepali youth for employment, so immediate diplomatic efforts should be made to reopen the visas there.”
Secretary Gurung pointed out that despite the high demand for domestic female workers in Hong Kong, many women are resorting to illegal and unlawful means to go there due to the lack of available visas. She said, “There is also a significant demand for domestic workers. For our Nepali women who are risking their lives to go to the Gulf countries, opening a path to Hong Kong would provide a great opportunity. However, since they are unable to go legally, many women have started using brokers and paying hefty sums to travel illegally to Hong Kong, which signals a major problem.”
She added, “If this issue is not addressed in time, it will lead to a bigger problem in the future.”
Meanwhile, during the meeting, the delegation requested the minister to immediately reopen labor approvals for Russia, as they have been closed for a long time. They urged the Nepalese government and the cabinet to review their decision and take immediate steps to resume the labor approval process.
In response, Minister Bhandari expressed his optimism about quickly reopening labor approvals for Russia and assured that necessary efforts would be made to understand what is causing the delay.
The labor approvals for Russia were previously halted on January 4, 2024 by the Department of Foreign Employment due to concerns that Nepali workers going to Russia might be at risk of being recruited into the military amidst the ongoing war, creating potential humanitarian risks. The NRNA has repeatedly brought this issue to the attention of both the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the meeting, Minister Bhandari was also made aware of the issue of fraudulent activities, where individuals are lured by the promise of attractive jobs and salaries in European countries like Romania and Croatia, only to be left stranded and deceived.
