Govt to crack down on illegal foreign workers
KATHMANDU:
The government is going to be tough to the institutions hiring foreign workers without consent of the authority.
Ministry of Labour and Transport Management has developed a legal provision for the foreign workers working in Nepal. Labour law of the country bars public and private sector institutions to hire foreign workers without approval from the Department of Labour. But the law has given exemption to hire foreign workers when the specific work forces are not available in Nepali market.
About 40,000 foreigners are believed to be working in Nepal and most of them are in tourist visa. However, only 3,500 of foreign workers have taken approval from the authority.
According to the department’s estimation, large number of foreigners are working in INGOs, schools, colleges and industries. However, they could not be traced till date.
The department is also exploring the foreign worker’s market in the country to crack down on illegal hiring trend. “We are exploring the institutions where foreign workers are working,” said director general of the department Dr Man Bahadur BK. The department has written letters to diplomatic mission, donor agencies and international development organisations (INGOs) to submit their foreign workers details.
“We are waiting for the details,” he said, adding that legal action will be taken after their responses, if found illegal foreign workers.
The department is also keeping its eye open on restaurants, hotels, banks, schools, colleges and others to trace illegal foreign workers.
“It is the first time so, we are not going to be too strict, who wants to follow legal process and make their foreign manpower legal,” he said, adding that disobedient will definitely face action according to labour law.
However, he didnot elaborate on what action would the department take against them.
Diplomats and top-class officers of INGOs, appointed from respective agency, are out from the legal boundary.
The government is planning to deport illegal foreign workers but has not set set any time frame. “We hope foreign workers will take permission from the department or voluntary leave the country,” Minister for Labour and Transport Management Mohammed Istiyak Rai, said, requesting all the institutions to cooperate government.
According to him, the move aims to provide more jobs to Nepali youth.
About 400,000 Nepalis enter in the job market every year but hardly 50,000 get jobs in the country. Due to lack of job opportunities in the country, they join foreign employment. About 300,000 Nepali youths are leaving the country for overseas jobs since last three years.
Meanwhile, the department has published a public notice to institutions employing foreign workers to take approval. The department grants permission to employers to engage a non-Nepali at work for a maximum period of five years and the term could be extended up to seven years.
Training 100,000 youth
The government is providing skill trainings to 100,000 youth in next fiscal year to make them self-employed and enhance job hunting capacity. “This is only of the development programmes,” Minister for Labour and Transport Management Mohammed Istiyak Rai, said, adding that vocational and Skill Development Training Centres will execute the trainings across the country through its 15 branches. The centre has been providing trainings to about 22,000 youth, conflict-hit and poor since last three years.
Source: THT
The government is going to be tough to the institutions hiring foreign workers without consent of the authority.
Ministry of Labour and Transport Management has developed a legal provision for the foreign workers working in Nepal. Labour law of the country bars public and private sector institutions to hire foreign workers without approval from the Department of Labour. But the law has given exemption to hire foreign workers when the specific work forces are not available in Nepali market.
About 40,000 foreigners are believed to be working in Nepal and most of them are in tourist visa. However, only 3,500 of foreign workers have taken approval from the authority.
According to the department’s estimation, large number of foreigners are working in INGOs, schools, colleges and industries. However, they could not be traced till date.
The department is also exploring the foreign worker’s market in the country to crack down on illegal hiring trend. “We are exploring the institutions where foreign workers are working,” said director general of the department Dr Man Bahadur BK. The department has written letters to diplomatic mission, donor agencies and international development organisations (INGOs) to submit their foreign workers details.
“We are waiting for the details,” he said, adding that legal action will be taken after their responses, if found illegal foreign workers.
The department is also keeping its eye open on restaurants, hotels, banks, schools, colleges and others to trace illegal foreign workers.
“It is the first time so, we are not going to be too strict, who wants to follow legal process and make their foreign manpower legal,” he said, adding that disobedient will definitely face action according to labour law.
However, he didnot elaborate on what action would the department take against them.
Diplomats and top-class officers of INGOs, appointed from respective agency, are out from the legal boundary.
The government is planning to deport illegal foreign workers but has not set set any time frame. “We hope foreign workers will take permission from the department or voluntary leave the country,” Minister for Labour and Transport Management Mohammed Istiyak Rai, said, requesting all the institutions to cooperate government.
According to him, the move aims to provide more jobs to Nepali youth.
About 400,000 Nepalis enter in the job market every year but hardly 50,000 get jobs in the country. Due to lack of job opportunities in the country, they join foreign employment. About 300,000 Nepali youths are leaving the country for overseas jobs since last three years.
Meanwhile, the department has published a public notice to institutions employing foreign workers to take approval. The department grants permission to employers to engage a non-Nepali at work for a maximum period of five years and the term could be extended up to seven years.
Training 100,000 youth
The government is providing skill trainings to 100,000 youth in next fiscal year to make them self-employed and enhance job hunting capacity. “This is only of the development programmes,” Minister for Labour and Transport Management Mohammed Istiyak Rai, said, adding that vocational and Skill Development Training Centres will execute the trainings across the country through its 15 branches. The centre has been providing trainings to about 22,000 youth, conflict-hit and poor since last three years.
Source: THT
