Before the Gen-G movement, a police report was not mandatory to travel to the UAE. However, this decision has become controversial after workers had to pay around Rs 13,800 for the VFS.
We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
The fee charged for Nepal's 'police report verification', which is required to obtain a visa to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has been controversial.
For police report verification, documents have to be submitted to the UAE Embassy in Kathmandu through the VFS (Visa Facilitation Service) in Thamel. For this, a fee of 353 dirhams (approximately 13,800 rupees) has to be paid at the VFS. Nepali workers going to the UAE for foreign employment have had to pay a new fee in the name of police report verification. Before the Gen-G movement, a police report was not mandatory to go to the UAE.
The Nepal Foreign Employment Entrepreneurs Association has demanded the removal of the fee prescribed for police report verification. The association has drawn the attention of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security.
Manpower entrepreneurs who send workers to the UAE drew attention on Sunday, saying that the association's initiative is not sufficient. They said that the fee charged for verification is higher than the standards set by the government. The government has adopted a policy that manpower companies can only charge Rs 10,000 as service fee from workers going to the UAE.
The association has formed a task force under the leadership of First Vice President Sujit Kumar Shrestha to communicate with the concerned parties and take initiatives to remove the fee. According to Shrestha, the fee has been set in a way that burdens the workers contrary to the labor agreement between the UAE and Nepal. 'We are preparing to discuss this issue with the UAE ambassador,' Shrestha said, 'Nepal and the UAE have a labor agreement of 'employer-pay model'. Due to its non-implementation, all the financial burden is falling on the workers.'
After the violent protests on Bhadra 24 and the escape of a Nepali citizen from jail, the UAE had temporarily stopped issuing visit and work visas for Nepalis. After the policy of making police reports mandatory was implemented, UAE visas have started being issued again.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that it is studying the issue of passport verification and the fees associated with it.
Businessmen have urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to take the initiative, demanding that the UAE recognize the police report that has been verified by the Consular Department of Nepal. 'Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other countries do not have to go to the embassy again after it has been verified by the Consular Department,' Shrestha said, 'Having to do it through VFS has put an additional financial burden on the workers.'
The UAE is a major destination country for Nepali workers. Nearly 40 percent of the total number of people who obtain work permits from the Department of Foreign Employment go to the UAE. In the fiscal year 2081/082, 211,148 people obtained work permits to go to the UAE. This number is excluding work permits.
Earlier in 2018, the UAE had entrusted the Kathmandu-based Yakka Travel and Tours and City Express Travel with the task of collecting applications for police report verification. At that time, the additional financial burden on the workers was around 4,400 rupees. The provision was removed after widespread protests.
The UAE embassy has not yet commented on the new fee.
