Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Three ministries related to foreign employment and migration held a meeting in Kathmandu on Wednesday to address issues faced by Nepali migrant workers abroad and find a solution to challenges seen in the field of Nepali immigration.
The meeting was held in the initiation of Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Arzu Rana Deuba and saw the participation of Minister for Home Affairs Ramesh Lekhak, and Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security as well as secretaries from respective ministries.
Discussions focused on further systematizing Nepal’s labor and immigration sectors.
Speaking at the Minister Rana highlighted the lack of information regarding where and how Nepalis are traveling for employment, education and other purposes. She added that the government often becomes aware of their situations only when they need to be rescued. “This joint meeting was called to address this concern,” she added. “Despite government restrictions, many Nepali women are still reaching Gulf countries illegally to work as domestic helpers. It is reported that around 48,000 Nepali women are in Kuwait alone.”
Rana stressed the need to simplify impractical policies and laws related to the foreign employment sector. She also called for increased monitoring of visa processes, simplifying labor approval systems and establishing standardized rules for rescuing Nepali diaspora in distress.
Likewise, Minister Lekhak recommended amending the Foreign Employment Act, 2007, to make it more relevant. He also praised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for playing a coordinating role in addressing issues in the foreign employment sector.
Likewise, Labor Minister Bhandari said the existing labor approval system should be improved. He added that Nepalis are currently working in 110 countries worldwide. “Despite restrictions on Nepali women to work in the domestic sector in Gulf countries, many are still going illegally. This necessitates a revision in the related provisions,” he added.
The three ministers also discussed the challenges in rescuing Nepalis abroad due to limited resources and manpower in foreign missions.
