The government has completely banned the sending of domestic female workers to the Gulf region since 2073. After the government stopped issuing work permits, hundreds of women are going to do domestic labor in the Gulf every day, falling into the network of human trafficking. According to various reports from the embassies, more than one and a half million women are currently working as domestic workers in the Gulf region alone.

They are also being deprived of visiting their families when they come on vacation and cannot go again. 's conversation with founder Ambassador Madhuvan Poudel for Kuwait, who has spent almost three decades in the diplomatic field, about the ban on domestic workers, its effects and diplomatic relations with the Gulf countries:   

It has been years since Nepal imposed a ban on sending female domestic workers to Gulf countries. What effect do you see such a ban having?

Destination countries are not happy with Nepal after the ban. They question why they are banned. Destination countries are extremely angry that domestic workers have arrived illegally. Domestic workers have a legal status with a visa. They are angry that Nepal has not given legitimacy because they came without Nepal's permission. Although domestic workers are illegal in our eyes, they are legal in the eyes of the destination country. Why did you give a passport? says If a passport is issued, it is permission to travel abroad. They are saying that people who have come cannot be called illegal. It is affecting diplomatic relations. 

When you went to Kuwait as the founding ambassador, there was no management of domestic workers. How did you bring the domestic workers who came to Kuwait from the third way under the legal scope of labor?

I sent a report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a comprehensive plan to bring it into law. Based on that, a working group involving senior officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Labor and Home Affairs formulated criteria/procedures for granting work permits to domestic workers. Based on that, the practice of giving labor approval started. According to which arrangements were made to verify the demand letter. With the permission of the Kuwaiti government, a "shelter" was opened for domestic workers. The Kuwaiti government had a quota system in its own shelters.

After seeing the Indian practice, I opened a shelter with government permission and insurance. I put a cook, two Filipino nurses, three law officers in the shelter. Its source was the amount collected from insurance. 9 crores of revenue was raised to the state every year. For that insurance, a fixed fee was fixed to the employer. The shelter was protected by the Kuwaiti government. This practice was not continued. The salary of domestic workers was increased from 40 KD to 60 KD. When the salary is increased like that, will the Kuwaiti government determine the salary of our workers? I was summoned to foreign affairs and asked that our king should sign the gazette.

I did not set the salary, I reminded that Nepal has adopted a policy of not allowing domestic workers to come with a salary below 60 KD. Then 60 KD was implemented. After the embassy itself implemented an insurance policy, it became easy to record the details of which domestic workers are in which Kuwaiti's house. Domestic workers who went through the illegal route also used to come to the embassy and get insurance. If we stop here, we can stay silent in the field. Once there, the embassy cannot distinguish between legal and illegal. There you have to provide service as Nepali. As our citizens, we have responsibilities. Embassy is established for the benefit of Nepalese. After arriving at the embassy, ​​it does not mean legal and illegal. Don't even keep it.  

Despite the ban, thousands of women workers are reaching the Gulf countries with the help of brokers. Why is this situation increasing? Is the state apparatus failing? The

is not that the state apparatus has failed. No one cared to manage it properly. They said to go out and bring remittances. However, the consciousness that they should be properly managed was never awakened at the policy-making level. It was not taken seriously. The government also kept coming and going. It became a habit for employees to always feel safe. No one wants to take risks. The result of this is being suffered by the working people. The state must fulfill its responsibility. 

Why is the attempt to make a legal way by organizing domestic workers complicated?

If everyone was interested, this field would not be complicated. Efforts to regulate are reduced. I see that the current Labor Minister is showing priority to send domestic workers through a pilot project. It discourages human trafficking. Domestic workers are retained by the destination country within its formal labor force. It wasn't before. It is not as complicated as it used to be to create a legal path. We have to build strong mechanisms. The destination country should be pressured to take workers in an orderly manner.  

Although the issue of domestic workers is repeatedly raised in Parliament, why does it not reach a long-term solution? Why does Parliament hesitate to make a policy decision on this matter?

The work of preventing this sector from being organized has also been done by the parliamentary committee. It is the parliamentary committee that has spoiled this sector. The person who speaks in the parliament does not understand the problem faced by the domestic workers. That should prevent open borders altogether. Otherwise, women are reaching the Gulf through human trafficking. If they are reaching there, they should think about how to manage them properly and give them instructions. Is stopping the solution? All the distortions that have occurred now are due to the stoppage.

From the first day I arrived in Kuwait, I kept writing letters to foreign affairs and labor saying that they should not stop. Open and manage. This is the easiest way to earn money for agents. If an agent living in Kuwait sells only one worker in the first lot, he will get $1,500. Then if he drives away from home and sells it again, he earns more than that. The employer does not bear any responsibility for hiring illegal workers. 

There was no extensive discussion on such questions in Parliament. Those who speak in parliament, they only speak from the point of suffering. The reason behind suffering should also be understood. First, they took women from here by human trafficking. The embassy does not have any records. who is where How many Nepalis are there? Nothing is known. We should always obtain records from the government of the destination country. If it is legalized, everyone's record will be with Nepal government. It is important to explain the parliamentary committee well. MPs should study deeply. There are very few parliamentarians who understand the subject and take their position.  

How effective are Nepali embassies in the Gulf to protect domestic workers? 

There is a huge gap in inter-ministerial coordination. No one cares about the recommendations made by the embassy. If it is not correct, you should tell the embassy. Very few officials take seriously why the embassy recommends it. Even the Foreign Secretary doesn't seem to take a good look. Even the staff of the division and branch do not seem to take it seriously. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has now created another department to deal with immigration. Are you starting to prioritize now? As long as this area is not a top priority of the state, the embassy alone will do nothing.

Embassies always seem to struggle to manage the field of domestic labour. Why are the embassies unable to provide effective service?

The embassy should coordinate effectively with the destination country and Nepal. The record keeping system should be made effective. Monitoring should be done from time to time. The reason why the embassy should not hire domestic workers is because they do not want to take on more work. One should not take too much responsibility towards the person who went through illegal means. After taking the work permit, you have to take responsibility. Before we opened the shelter in Kuwait, we had to go home at 11 pm due to the workload. We could breathe a sigh of relief after the management of the shelter. The ministry should also provide resources and manpower. Now many posts have been added. It can be served according to rank. We are short on resources. If resources are also increased to the embassy, ​​effective service will increase. The capacity of the staff should also be enhanced. 

Is it possible to have a bilateral labor agreement with Gulf countries with special protection provisions for domestic workers?

Gulf and our lifestyle, culture is different. First of all we have to understand this. A woman living in a different environment and lifestyle here has to change to a lifestyle within the closed society there. The lifestyle of a closed society may not pose a problem to those who understand it. A bilateral agreement is possible as we give high priority to the safety of domestic workers with the Gulf countries.

They are the ones who want to advance the labor agreement with Nepal. In this we have to increase our 'negotiation power'. They do 'bargaining' in their own way. We should be able to convey our sensitivity to them. India and the Philippines are sending domestic workers through good 'bargaining'. The agreements have been made with attention to issues such as ensuring that domestic workers receive timely wages, accommodation, training arrangements, regular contact with embassies and families, and their smooth return home. We can do that too.

 Nepal also wants to make a labor agreement. The parliamentary committee is also saying that it should be sent after making an agreement. The governments of the Gulf countries also want to make a labor agreement. Where is the knot tight?

As long as Khadi is getting domestic workers without contract or contract, there is no pressure on him to contract. Every day hundreds of women are coming to the Gulf to do domestic labour. There are agents in every village. He is collecting women by various means and taking them to houses in Khadi. Why did the government of the Gulf have to compromise? We should be more concerned and careful. Countries like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman have sent proposals to contract domestic workers. The

should advance it concretely. We should recognize domestic labor as a dignified job. There should be an agreement that enforces the terms of the Decent Workplace Standards. Unless it is properly addressed that this is also a job, the problem will continue to arise. Local laws on domestic labor have now been issued in all countries. This makes it easy to negotiate. The main thing should be our vigilance. Relying only on paper correspondence will push the negotiation even further.

What structural reforms are necessary to control human trafficking?

First of all, the field of domestic labor must be regulated. It cannot be controlled. People go by other means. We need to make orientation training effective. Now there is no orientation training. Without orientation certificate is issued. Skilled training should be taught even if it is at least one month. Common colloquial language should be taught. It also increases self-confidence of women. Both Nepal's manpower companies and Gulf domestic labor supply companies should be made responsible.

If both companies are made responsible, the exploitation of domestic workers should be minimized. Complete records of domestic workers should be with the embassy and foreign employment department. As soon as they come within the ambit of labor sanction, the way for them to get all kinds of welfare services is open. There is no need to be deprived of the benefits from the state agencies. The agents identified by the Nepali Embassy should be prosecuted for human trafficking. A high-level joint committee of permanent nature should be formed between the Ministry of Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs and Labor. In order to properly manage it, the recommendations sent by the embassy should be implemented through that committee. 

Why can't the women who reached the Gulf from the setting at the airport return easily? 

There are 10 different agencies at the airport. When domestic workers try to go by themselves, they are stopped at the airport. The trend of brokers setting up and sending with all agencies at the airport has been growing ever since. This is the extreme form of corruption. By setting it up like that, the situation is being created where domestic workers who have been taken away at the cost of lakhs are being sent from house to house by agencies in the Gulf. Sent to one house, after returning after not being able to work there, they are sent to another house. Inspires to escape while working.

then sent to another house. Agencies and employers do not consider it urgent to send domestic workers to Nepal after the cost increases. If they can easily find another domestic worker, they will send them only. In all respects, domestic workers should be brought within the legal framework. In this, the airport agencies must accept the labor permit issued by the Ministry of Labour.

ministry approval should also be simplified. The work of the labor approval is strong, that brokers and workers will resort to the visit visa. Police at the airport is viewing security. Document is not to check. He does not have the right to watch the workers, tickets. According to the criteria of the government fixed in the visit visa, the right to stop the visa carrying people is not the right to stop. Everyone does not use their rights correctly. • Why is the state mechanism be presented to take action against the involved person involved in the Sancraft? & NBSP;

, who works in human trafficking, their straight access state mechanism is with the state mechanism. All parties of all parties are active abroad. In those organizations, human traffickers are attached. They are in effect as the organization. It has made a relationship with the leaders of the party. We are around the ministers and leaders who have come abroad that the recommendations we need to take action. I saw only one minister for only one minister, who considered the whole protocol of the embassy when he ran abroad. Story-3 Some ministers met with the requested disputed people we had. I also saw that such people not erased to the embassy. The agent that we recommend to take action are not research. On the other hand, proof of human smuggling women does not get along. Salvation has not lodged a complaint that the agent should take action against the agent. Scheter or action is going to take action over the abroad, you become contacted when I arrive in Nepal. Only a few women go to police complaint. The police do not even move the issue that proofs are not enough. It also harsed agents. & Nbsp; Do you see a serious person taking initiamer so that the

is to be institutionalized to be institutionalized? & nbsp;

is the most UAE searched a serious initiative. They are saying that they should take the domestic workers from institutional and transparent work. For that, it has also made necessary agreements and protocols. Kuwait and Saudi also has taken out agreement. Agreement has been exchanged in a few stages. They have all cultivated domestic labor in their local labor laws. It makes more comfortable to compromise. The Gulf countries look at the selfishness of their citizens. The state is also the practice of domestic workers' salaries of domestic workers. & Nbsp; The

government is just a buying job for the government to stage over the domestic workers? The

is the age of age limit to the age of age. Sometimes it has been stopped sending women from a domestic worker as a domestic workers and two years of age. How did a woman who could not go for 30 years do? The state wants to block him if the woman wants to stand in his feet. It was tending. I wrote a letter to the foreign information about the age of 30 years. Foreign foreigners said it was verbally that this government's decision is, not to say. It had a difference to be a different topic that would be believed. However, the policy is wrong. & Nbsp;

s are also raising some of the lawmakers and diplomatory workers that they should be stopped in the respect of the country's respect. Is that right? & Nbsp;

is it's personal thoughts. Doing so is not to value work. The United States and Australia are ready to fool the dishes. However, according to minimum workers, there is no reason to argue that in the honor of the country where there is a domestic worker. This is not to understand the world of a lot. Domestic labor should be viewed as a dignified labor. & Nbsp; What could be a long-term solution to ensure security and security of

Nepali homemade workers?

foreign employment managing our policy is to send domestic workers legitimately formed responsible for the private sector management. A human smuggling can be controlled that you can make it institutionalized. You need to be responsible for agency in Nepal and Bay. It is easy to take legal action to the agency not fulfilling responsibility. The state mechanism is now established by the state that both monitoring and action against them. The state of sending a worker by submitting fake paper as before is no longer now. There must be more raised with Manpower to send home domestic workers. Also need to be made to the employer. Employment descriptions that do not meet their terms requirements are required to be related to the government. Must be the quality between the employers and the workers. When you renew each year's visa, you must be binding the provision from the Embassy. Restrictions on

domestic workers have some influences in the diplomatic relations between Nepal and Bays and Bays? If the

can be sent domestic workers can be sent, then adds the relations between Nepal and the Bay and the Bay Government. This is what I have experienced in the first visit to Koesite of Kuveat. Talk was said when I went to the king of Kuwa. The Kunti king asked Nepal why Nepal opened the embassy in Kuwas. In that, the domestic workers I worked here were very sad and tortured, I answered that I have come to my advantage and management.

then said that the king was ready to help all for the establishment and cooperation. Kuwat was assigned to establish Embaruses to establish an installation. The office and the residence sought. Kuwait was placed with guards, cleriors, drivers. At that time we had a small group. The biggest need for them was domestic workers. At that time, 500,000 domestic workers in different countries were. They preferred Nepali. Not only Kuwait, but other Bay countries seek Nepali. He wants to increase the relationship with Nepal. Through domestic workers, diplomatic relations can be strengthened. Helps the relationship between the two countries to a personal level. & Nbsp;