Nepalis in foreign employment: 12,000 deaths in 15 years, 9,500 families did not get compensation

In the Gulf countries and Malaysia, which supply workers, the working time is eight hours per day, so the dependent families of workers who die within 16 hours have to be deprived of compensation. These countries have not implemented the insurance facility for the whole day (24 hours).

According to the Foreign Employment Board, in the last 15 years, at least 11,760 Nepalis have lost their lives in the Gulf and Malaysia, but only 2,269 workers' families have received compensation. In these countries, there is a legal provision that only compensates those who die in road accidents and workplace accidents. According to which, in the last 15 years in the Gulf and Malaysia, 1,493 workers who died in road accidents and 776 workers who died in workplace accidents have received compensation only.

12.69 percent of those who lost their lives in labor destination countries were killed in road accidents and 6.59 percent were killed in workplace accidents, so 19 percent of these families received compensation. However, many of them got the money only after immense suffering.

Out of the 81 percent who did not receive compensation, 2 thousand 328 (19.79 percent) died of natural causes, while 2 thousand 5 people (19.6 percent) died of heart attacks and heart diseases. Likewise, 1,315 (11.18 percent) committed suicide. The number of deaths due to covid is 223 (1.89 percent). Dependent families of 3,320 (28.23 percent) who died due to various other reasons have not received compensation.

In the Gulf countries, the death rate due to heart attack and heart disease is very high due to excessive work and hot weather. A study conducted in 2019 was published in the Journal of Cardiology in which excessive heat is considered the main cause of death of Nepali workers in Qatar.

Amnesty International, showing concern, had also requested the Qatar government to conduct a serious investigation before issuing the death certificate of the Nepalese worker. However, there has been no serious study yet, nor has Nepal been able to take meaningful initiatives. Therefore, the families of workers who lost their lives have not been able to receive compensation.

Former Ambassador to Qatar Suryanath Mishra says that Nepal's initiative to implement a 24-hour compulsory insurance system in labor destination countries has not been effective. In the last decade, labor agreements have been signed with some major destination countries. However, Nepal could not take a stand that the insurance of its workers in that country should be for 24 hours," he says. "After a worker goes abroad, he gives 100 percent of his time to the company. The worker lives in the company's camp and does the work assigned by him. After 24 hours of monitoring and supervision of the company, the insurance should also be 24 hours.'

When the family makes a claim, the Nepali Embassy files a case in the court through the local lawyer of the respective country. Only after winning the case, the dependent family gets compensation according to the local laws of the destination country. The number of Nepalese who die in labor destination countries is around 1000 every year. However, according to the records of the consular department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the last three years, 1,314 families have applied to the embassy claiming compensation from the destination country. Even if the dependent families of the workers claim the compensation amount, it is not easy to get it. Due to the psychology of not getting compensation, the family hesitates first.

The rate of compensation is also different in the Gulf region and Malaysia. In case of death of a laborer in the Gulf region, there is a rule to pay 2 lakhs (about Rs. 70 lakhs) locally as 'blood money'. Families of deceased workers in Saudi Arabia receive three types of compensation. Employer company gives gratuity based on years of work. Similarly, there is a rule to pay 'blood money' if someone kills someone in the workplace or dies in a road accident. This amount is determined by looking at the nature of the event. In other words, depending on the fault, the amount is determined as 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent," says Shatrudhan Prasad Pokharel, Acting Nepali Consul General in Jeddah. Third, there is life insurance that covers 24 hours, but the number of workers who have such insurance is low here.

Gosi, the workers' compensation agency in Saudi Arabia, only provides compensation for road accidents and workplace deaths. Gosi has sent money directly to the victim's family. The Nepali Embassy in Riyadh and the office of the Nepali Consul General in Jeddah are fighting a case for the compensation of 600 workers.

Until 2022, representatives of the Nepali Embassy went to the court to argue on behalf of the victims' families. However, after the Saudi government introduced a mandatory rule that only locally licensed lawyers can argue in court, the embassy contracted with a local lawyer. Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain have similar arrangements. After the government did not provide a budget for appointing a lawyer, the embassy arranged for the lawyer to receive a certain percentage of the amount from the compensation to argue in the court.

The embassies have agreed that the lawyer will receive 8 to 25 percent of the total compensation if the case is won. It has been agreed that the embassy itself does not have the resources and manpower to provide judicial services, so that it will be deducted from the amount of the compensation.

Nepali Ambassador to Malaysia Dilli Prasad Paudel says that it is sad that Nepalis who died due to heart attacks and diseases are not getting compensation. Those who do not live here illegally. That person is affiliated to the Malaysian Social Security Scheme (SOSCO). Sosco rules do not discriminate between Malaysian citizens and immigrants, but Sosco only covers workplace accidents and road accidents. However, the number of deaths in workplace accidents in Malaysia is very low. Most deaths are due to natural and disease-related causes. Dependent families of deceased workers who fall within the criteria of Sosco are getting a certain amount of pension. Such a number is only 71 people.

Somprasad Lamichhane, executive director of the Migrant Nepali Coordination Committee, says that all the families of the deceased will get relief if they can be connected to Sosco by providing 24-hour insurance. "Malaysia's practice is a model for others. However, this also only covers workplace and road accidents," he says. "We are missing out on taking strong diplomatic initiatives with the respective countries to take responsibility for the 24-hour security of all the workers who have gone to work abroad."