Govt urges not to move back from free visa, ticket decision

Kathmandu, April 3: The government has been urged not to reverse its earlier decision of providing free visa and tickets for foreign job aspirants going to six gulf countries and Malaysia under any circumstance.

Various organisations Sunday took to the street against what they argued ‘conspiracies’ being hatched to make the decision made in favour of foreign job aspirants a failure. They called on the government not to get influenced by manpower agents and move back from the decision.

It may be noted that the then Minister of Labour and Employment Tek Bahadur Gurung on July 6 last year decided to ensure the provision of free ticket and visa to Nepali migrant workers. Owners of the capital-based manpower agents who seemed accepting the government decision in the beginning later came to the street against it after 18 manpower agencies were raided and some owners arrested by the government on fraud charge.

Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies announced that they were stopping to send the Nepali migrant workers for foreign jobs, until July 6 decision was reversed. However most of the manpower agencies did not follow the NAFEA decision and continued their business.

Manpower agents have been reported trying to tempt the people in power to change the decision of free visa and ticket.

National Network for Safe Migration is organising various pressure-creating programmes, calling on the government to continue with the free ticket and visa system. It has already submitted a memorandum to the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Ministry of Labour and Employment and Foreign Employment Promotion Board, seeking the effective implementation of the July 6 decision, its Chair Siddhichandra Baral said. RSS