The Nepalese government has said that it has been negotiating with major source countries to make the recruitment process free for Nepali migrant workers, reports myrepublica.com. 

Buddhi Bahadur Khadka, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE), commented: “We have been advocating for zero recruitment cost for Nepali migrant workers. To materialise this idea, the role of countries seeking migrant workers is crucial.” 

MoLE sent drafted Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) to Malaysia, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia but has yet to receive a response. 

Speaking at an event organised by the International Office for Migration (IOM), Mr Khadka advised that the government has also urged destination countries to give migrant workers direct access to employers to ease the recruitment process. 

Presenting a paper on ethical recruitment practices at the event, Yuko Hamada, a senior regional labour migration expert with the IOM, stressed the role of recruitment agencies in minimising the impact of unethical recruitment: “The role of migrant receiving countries is very crucial to minimise the risks. There should be MoU between the sending and receiving countries.” 

She also emphasised the need of waiving recruitment fees to the job seekers and transparency in the recruitment sectors. 

Officials from different diplomatic missions, civil society and government agencies participated the meeting. The stressed the need to make recruitment rules the same for both sending and receiving countries. They also said that Nepal need to produce more skilled workers in coming days so that the workers can get a good deal overseas. 

The recommendations from the regional consultation will be taken to the upcoming Labour Migration Consultation to be held in October in Sri Lanka.