The Nepal Forum of Democratic Foreign Employment Entrepreneurs (NFDFEE) is concerned about the government increasing the amount loaned for a medical test for migrants to work overseas. This policy change was effective on November 26, increasing the amount charged for workers who travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from Rs 4,500 to Rs 9,500, and all other travel destinations from Rs 6,500 to Rs 9,500. This increase is causing significant hardship for many workers who are financially disadvantaged.
The NFDFEE has stated that this increase will place a greater burden on workers who come from financially disadvantaged communities who depend on Foreign Employment as their primary source of income. Forum President Deepak Thapa said, "When the total amount charged to workers travelling to the Gulf and Malaysia is limited to Rs 10,000, to charge Rs 9,500 for a medical examination, in addition to other expenses that need to be incurred by the worker, is a heavy financial burden on the worker."
The NFDFEE asks the Government to reconsider their decision and notes that for many Nepalis, Foreign Employment is a major source of income, and the cost of the medical examination could deter or delay workers from completing the other necessary procedures required for Foreign Employment. "The majority of workers who travel out of the Country are low-income, and this huge increase in costs could create a barrier to opportunities for Employment," Thapa stated.
The Forum has not yet received a response from the Government regarding their statement. This increase is part of broader changes released by the Government concerning the regulation of all foreign employment applications, including health, security and administrative checks.
The Forum believes that implementing these changes without consulting with stakeholders could have a significant and damaging effect on the labour migration industry and families reliant on remittances from foreign employment.
As more and more stakeholders in Nepal set out to address the issue of how much it costs to work in another country, there have been many discussions regarding the need to balance the procedural requirements for obtaining foreign employment and the ability for workers to afford them.
Several local organisations that advocate for temporary workers rights have raised similar concerns and also stated that increasing costs could negatively impact the remittances they receive from their foreign workers. The Nepal Foreign Domestic Workers Financial Services Association (NFDFEE) echoed these sentiments and stressed the importance of reviewing and adjusting the cost structure for foreign employment applications to ensure fair and equitable access to affordable options for migrant workers while protecting the integrity of the medical examination process.
"The Nepalese Government needs to relieve some of the cost burden associated with foreign employment applications for low-income workers or seriously re-evaluate the costs associated with obtaining foreign employment," said Mr. Thapa, Executive Officer of NFDFEE.