Overseas recruitment firms in Nepal picketed the country’s Department of Foreign Employment (DOFE) last week. Demanding that the new mandate that foreign employers pay visa and travel fees for Nepalese migrant workers be revoked, reports ekantipur.com.

Around 300 protesters chanted slogans and waved placards demanding the resignation of the State Minister of Labour and Employment and an end to corruption at the government agency.

The new provision will come into effect on 6 July 2015. Officials and foreign employment experts say the new provision will reduce the level of recruitment fees paid by prospective overseas workers.

Recruiting agencies, however, claim that the decision was “immature” and lacks the support of the receiving countries. They claim a significant proportion of the recruitment fee goes to accredited agents working for labour receiving agencies and in the grassroots levels.

They say the new provision is aimed at benefitting few powerful people while displacing hundreds of recruitment firms.

“The protest will not stop unless the government corrects its decision. We have no problem with free visa and free ticket but the government should take prior consent of the labour receiving governments,” said one protester.

According to the new provision, prospective migrant workers will have to pay just for health check-ups, orientation, a welfare fund, and up to NPR 10,000 (USD 97) as service charge. The workers can only be charged a maximum of NPR 17,000 (USD 164).  

Only migrants going to Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, and Kuwait will benefit from the provision.