KATHMANDU: The government has not been able to send Nepali workers to Japan despite signing a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on Specified Skilled Workers. As a result, privately owned recruitment companies, educational consultancies, various organizations, and even individuals have been sending Nepali workers to Japan.
“The private sector has dominated the process of sending workers to Japan. As a result, workers heading to Japan are forced to pay exorbitant fees. This issue requires immediate attention from the concerned authorities,” said Surya Prasad Khatri, Director General of the Department of Foreign Employment.
The MoC has expired without sending any workers to Japan at the government-to-government level. However, recruitment companies and educational consultancies have been sending skilled workers, charging as much as Rs 1.6 million.
“We have received complaints that youths heading to Japan are being charged up to Rs 1.6 million,” Khatri said. He added that workers heading to Japan are being exploited under the guise of individual visas. “Workers often land in problems because of the unmanaged recruitment process.”
More than 5,000 workers have left for Japan in the first seven months of 2024/25 through recruitment companies and individual arrangements. “There is no truth in claims that recruitment companies are charging up to Rs 1.6 million. Individuals, consultancies, and various organizations are charging arbitrary fees,” he added. “Not just in Japan, massive fraud is also taking place in the name of sending workers to Europe and developed countries. It is wrong to blame manpower entrepreneurs for such fraud.”
Bhandari’s understanding is that the situation arose due to the government’s inability to fix the cost.
Two weeks ago, an agreement was reached between Zenkou Research Institute, Kozai Kosan Corporation, Progressive Staff Service, Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, and Sandipani Group of Education to send 20,000 workers to Japan’s healthcare sector. However, they have not disclosed the fee that these workers will have to pay.
Naresh Ojha, Executive Director of Sandipani Group of Companies, told Himal Press that an agreement has been made to send individuals who pass the basic Japanese language proficiency test (N-4 level) for caregiving roles. “Individuals aged 18 to 45 are eligible for employment in Japan’s healthcare sector,” he said. “The cost cannot be disclosed at this time. It will be determined once the process of sending workers begins.”
According to the Ministry of Labor, Employment, and Social Security, preparations were underway to renew the MoC with Japan, which expired in March last year.
