KATHMANDU, June 4: The government is making preparations to open foreign employment for aspiring migrant workers in all countries with which it has diplomatic relations. The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS) is doing its homework to open up foreign employment even in Iraq, a lucrative destination for security workers. Until now, the government has banned work permits for  Iraq but Nepalis have been going to the Gulf country through illegal channels.

KATHMANDU, May 24: The death toll of Nepali youth who have gone abroad for foreign employment has been increasing every year. There is no opportunity for employment in the country. Likewise huge human casualties of Nepalis going to work abroad are reported every year.

KATHMANDU, May 21: In the 10 months of the current financial year 2022/23, the number of people going abroad for foreign employment has exceeded 660,000.

KATHMANDU, April 27: The police have arrested a young man on the charge of swindling various people out of Rs 1.3 million by making fake promises to send them to Portugal.

KATHMANDU, April 20: The number of people going abroad for foreign employment has exceeded 600,000 in the current Fiscal Year that began in mid-July.

KATHMANDU, April 15: The trend of Nepali nationals, aspiring to work in foreign countries on visit visas, being returned back from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) is on the rise.

KATHMANDU, March 20: Although the government has announced that it will provide employment opportunities within the country by ending forced foreign employment, more than 61,000 people have taken work permits to go to foreign employment between mid-February and mid-March.

KATHMANDU, March 16: The government has removed the provision of two-year in issuing labor permits for foreign employment. The provision was removed by a Prime-Ministerial decision, according to the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security.

KATHMANDU, Feb 22: In the first seven months of the current fiscal year 2022/23, nearly 500,000 youths have gone abroad for foreign employment.

KATHMANDU, Nov 27: With the increase in the number of people seeking foreign employment from Nepal, the cases of fraud in this sector have also increased. From July to October of the current financial year, 1,148 individuals and institutions have filed complaints related to fraud in foreign employment. According to the People's Forum for Human Rights, 1,077 men and 141 women were among those who filed the complaints.

KATHMANDU, Nov 4: The Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) has implemented the 'Securities Issuance and Allotment (Sixth Amendment) Guideline, 2079 BS' with the aim of allowing the Nepalis employed abroad to enter the stock market back home. With the new Guideline in place, Nepalis who are employed abroad can easily invest in initial public offerings (IPOs).

Nepal and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 1977. The bilateral cooperation between the two countries has since increased manifolds. While the UAE is the fourth largest trading partner of Nepal, this Middle Eastern nation is also one of the popular destinations of Nepali migrant workers. The two countries also share common views on significant global issues ranging from renewable energy, climate change to world peace and fight against terrorism both as a member of the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement at the multilateral level. Against this context, Republica's Kosh Raj Koirala talked to UAE Ambassador to Nepal, Saeed Hamdan Al Naqbi, to understand the current state of bilateral relations between Nepal and the UAE, potential areas of cooperation and ways to further promote bilateral relations between the two countries. Excerpts:

Nepalis longing to return home must not waste time waiting for a better time, better economy, or better government. They must accept their native country as it is now and bet on the potential of the country. If we do not believe in the future of our own country, then why would any foreign investor do so?

KATHMANDU, August 1: Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security, Sher Bahadur Kunwar has said he will work to make the foreign employment sector further well-managed and dignified.

CHITWAN, July 24: More than two and a half billion rupees enter Nepal every day in the form of remittances. According to Nepal Rastra Bank data, youths who have gone for foreign employment have been sending 2 billion 745 million rupees to Nepal daily.

KATHMANDU, July 16: Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) has said that the number of workers going abroad has increased by 3.68 times in the fiscal year 2021/22.

KATHMANDU, July 6: World's biggest IT Company in Malaysia is to employ Nepali workers at zero cost.

KATHMANDU, June 3: Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security, Krishna Kumar Shrestha has said the government will embrace a zero tolerance policy against frauds taking place in the name of foreign employment.

KATHMANDU, May 7: The Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) has filed cases against a number of individuals and consultancies which have been found embezzling large amounts of money from foreign job aspirants.

KATHMANDU, April 26: A team led by Labor, Employment and Social Security Minister Krishna Kumar Shrestha is going to Malaysia on Wednesday. According to the ministry, the minister is going there on a four-day visit to Malaysia at the invitation of Malaysia's Human Resources Minister Sarvanan Murugan.

KATHMANDU, April 13: Ambassador of South Korea to Nepal, Park Chong-suk, on Tuesday paid a courtesy call on Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Krishna Kumar Shrestha at the ministry in Singha Durbar.

KATHMANDU, March 12: More than 200,000 Nepali citizens have gone abroad in search of jobs in the first seven months of the current fiscal year beginning mid-July. The number of Nepalis seeking final labor permits (institutional and individual-new and legalized) for foreign employment has increased significantly.

KATHMANDU, Feb 27: The government will provide free RT-PCR tests for COVID-19 to all Nepali nationals going for foreign employment. The Ministry of Health and Population has made a ministerial decision to provide free RT-PCR testing to the migrant workers.

KATHMANDU, Feb 11: Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security, Krishna Kumar Shrestha has said that the government is committed to making foreign employment safe and more fruitful.

KATHMANDU, Feb 6: Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security, Krishna Kumar Shrestha has directed the Department of Foreign Employment to address the grievances of the victims of foreign employment in a timely manner.

KATHMANDU, Jan 30: The Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security has established a call center and foreign employment complaints hearing room at its office. Inaugurating the call center, Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security Krishna Kumar Shrestha expressed his commitment to bring any organization or individual who tries to leave any Nepali citizen stranded during foreign employment under the ambit of action as per the prevailing law and give justice to the victims.

KATHMANDU, Jan 28: Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security Krishna Kumar Shrestha has said that the government will take action against the foreign employment entrepreneurs who leave Nepali citizens stranded abroad on visit visa.

KATHMANDU, Jan 28: The statistics of the National Census 2021 report shows that the number of women migrating to foreign countries in the past decade has increased by 71 percent. The report indicates that the development of information and technology is a major factor behind it.

KATHMANDU, Dec 25: The government has started administering Johnson & Johnson vaccines from various hospitals in Kathmandu giving priority to those going abroad for work.

KATHMANDU, Dec 18: The government has formed a rapid response team to check possible irregularities in the foreign employment sector.

KATHMANDU, Dec 16: Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Krishna Kumar Shrestha has warned of taking stern actions against those duping innocent people in the name of foreign employment.

Doti, Dec 13: Many people go to India for work from various districts of the Far Western Province every year. However, the number of them going missing there has increased over the years and it has become a matter of concern.

KATHMANDU, Dec 11: Workers going to Korea for employment under the Nepal-Korea government agreement have to bear the cost of hotel quarantine by themselves.

KATHMANDU, Dec 9: The government is trying to find an alternative to the ‘free visa, free ticket’ system for foreign employment, saying neither the government nor those going abroad has been able to benefit from the system.

KATHMANDU, Dec 2: The government is set to provide up to Rs 1.5 million in legal aid to those Nepali migrant workers who have legal issues in their host countries.

KATHMANDU, Nov 28: Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security, Krishna Kumar Shrestha has said that the government is in the process to introduce a program to ensure reintegration of those returning home from abroad in society.

KATHMANDU, Nov 22: The government has said it is initiating a process to send 10,000 nurses to the United Kingdom amid growing concerns about alternative employment opportunities in countries other than the Gulf and Malaysia.

KATHMANDU, Nov 21: Around 55,000 job seekers went for foreign employment in one month during mid-October and mid-November amid an increasing demand for migrant workers abroad.

KATHMANDU, OCT 13: Israel has made public the list of 1,175 Nepalese shortlisted for employment in the country.

LONDON, Oct 2: Vice President of the Non Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), Dr Badri KC has said that the Middle East is the heart of the NRNA campaign.

In South Korea, unlike other countries, employers pay migrant workers equal to Korean workers. On average, per month, Nepali workers earn 1500 to 2200 USD. In 2020, at minimum, their earnings grossed 8590 Won (roughly 7.5 USD) per hour for 40 hours a week.  In 2021, the hourly minimum wage has already been increased to 8720 Won. During additional hours and holidays, workers receive even higher wages.

KATHMANDU, August 5: The bodies of 24 Nepalis who died in Malaysia during employment were brought to Nepal a week ago. The bodies had been stranded in Malaysia for some time due to the limited regular flights following the COVID-19 pandemic. The Foreign Employment Board has stated that the bodies were brought after a wide body aircraft was sent for the purpose.

KATHMANDU, May 6: The Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) has decided to suspend issuing work permits to foreign job seekers with effect from Friday.

KATHMANDU, Feb 26: Bheri Overseas Manpower has been found to have swindled youths out of Rs 300 million, promising them lucrative jobs abroad. The manpower has run a fraudulent business by luring more than 150 people claiming to send them to various European countries and Afghanistan.

KARNALI, Feb 18: The global pandemic of coronavirus is still highly prevalent. Some countries have taken tough lockdown measures to contain possible spread of the virus.

KATHMANDU, Feb 8: Although the risk of the COVID-19 pandemic is being minimized in different destination countries, the Nepali embassies there have not shown any proactive interest in verifying the demand letters which has created problems for those trying to go for foreign employment. Foreign employment has become a means of earning for the unemployed while the country is unable to create employment for its youth.

KATHMANDU, Feb 1: It is not a new thing for the manpower companies to charge the youths going for foreign employment more than the prescribed fees. The government has implemented a rule that states that manpower companies are not allowed to charge more than Rs 10,000 to the workers going to the Gulf countries and Malaysia.

Why have so many people chosen to go to the foreign countries to work despite a risk of death? Why do we produce workers and not entrepreneurs?

KATHMANDU, Jan 24: A total of 14,753 individuals received permission for foreign employment in the Nepali month of Paush (mid-December to mid-January). This is the largest number in a month’s time since the coronavirus hit the country.

Labor migration is not safe for innocent Nepali migrant workers. The government should ensure that every single Nepali worker in foreign land is paid decent salary and treated with dignity.