Dept tighten outsourcers as illegal migration booms

HIMALAYAN NEWS SERVICE

KATHMANDU: Illegal migration via India has significantly increased as the Department of Foreign Employment tightened outsourcing agencies.

The department has started to strictly scrutinise demand letters and other docements since November.

“Hundreds of Nepali youths are joining jobs in Gulf countries using illegal routes of Indian cities, New Delhi and Mumbai,” according to executive director Sthaneshwor Devkota at Foreign Employment Promotion Board in an interaction today. “Nexus of outsourcer and human traffickers are involved in the business.”

Though illegal migration to Gulf countries is booming and its an open secret, the Department of Foreign Employment has not got a single complain on it. Foreign Employment Act 2007 termed illegal migrants to those people who join foreign jobs without permission from the government and use foreign airports.

According to the board, over 200 Nepalis are reaching to Gulf countries – Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bharain, Oman and others – via India per day. Earlier, some 60-70 people per day used to take the route.

“We have heard about it and are scrutinising some agents and outsourcing agencies,” said director general at the department Purna Chandra Bhattarai.

The department is implementing 30-point reform of the government to make foreign employment safe to migrant people.

Dr Ganesh Gurung committee formed by Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai three months ago has advised the government to completely reform the sector. It has suggested 30-point to reform the sector.

The department has been tightening pre and final permit process since November but outsourcer are taken illegal route to send workers rather than supporting the move. “I found it challenging and have not got sufficient support from outsourcing agencies,” he said.

However, outsourcer rejected their involvement in growing illegal migration. “I have not found any outsourcer involved in it,” said president of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies Som Lal Bataju. He urged the department to take action against outsourcers those involved in the illegal business.

About 3.5 million Nepalis are believed to be working in foreign countries but only around 2.1 million are recorded in department. According to the department, less than seven per cent of 256,666 Nepali women migrant workers are documented.

Frustration fuelled by unemployment, poverty and lingering peace process has increased migration for job in recent years. Above 300,000 Nepali youths are joining jobs in Gulf countries and Malaysia since last three years.

Dept strict on job ad

KATHMANDU: Department of Foreign Employment is planning to be strict on job employment advertisement to control foreign employment related fraud activities. “We are issuing ‘lot number’ in every foreign approval and that should be published in advertisement,” said director general of the department Purna Chandra Bhattarai. He urged the media not to publish or broadcast any job advertisements that does not have lot number. The department has established a hotline to enquire about authenticity of foreign job advertisement. “With lot numbers, we can verify the advertisement within immediatley,” he said. The department has found dozen of fake advertisements from outsourcing agencies or their agents published in media last month.