Home ministry cautions Nepalis against joining foreign armed forces

KATHMANDU: The Ministry of Home Affairs has cautioned Nepalis against joining any army or armed forces of foreign countries.

Issuing a 14-point advisory to Nepalis traveling abroad on Tuesday, the ministry stated that it is illegal and against the interest of the country to join the army and armed forces of foreign countries except for India and the United Kingdom. “Since it is difficult to rescue individuals joining foreign armed forces if they land in trouble, we advise everyone not to join such forces,” the home ministry said in the travel advisory.

The government’s reaction came amid reports of hundreds of Nepalis joining the Russian army in recent months. The government has confirmed the deaths of 12 Nepalis while serving in the Russian army so far.

The ministry introduced a new working procedure on Tuesday in response to the surge in complaints regarding fraud and challenges faced by Nepali citizens traveling abroad on visit and tourist visas. The 14-point advisory was issued based on the new working procedure.

Stating that visit visas and tourist visas serve as entry permits with specific purposes, the government has said that seeking employment abroad on these visas is illegal. It has also advised people to adhere to the intended purpose of the visa. Likewise, it has cautioned people against the submission of counterfeit documents or traveling to countries different from the visa’s intended purpose. It has warned against fraudulent practices, especially in labor destination countries like Kuwait, Oman, UAE, and Bahrain, where women may be deceived into working illegally.

It has urged travelers on visit or tourist visas to return before the visa expires and make a self-declaration that they would be responsible for the consequences resulting from overstaying. It has also advised travelers to get a No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by the concerned Nepali embassy if they are using airports from other countries including India.  Similarly, the government has asked people to exercise caution before making payments to entities or individuals claiming to facilitate foreign employment.

Likewise, the government has advised youths interested in traveling to foreign job destinations to take the service of government-registered recruitment companies and pay only the fee prescribed by the government.  Stating that Nepal’s law doesn’t recognize ‘recruitment agents’, it has cautioned against making payments to such agents. Similarly, the Home Ministry has advised people to inform authorities if government-registered recruitment companies encourage them to leave for foreign job destinations on tourist or visit visas.