Non-Resident Nepali Association, Iraq, alleges discrimination by the Department of Foreign Employment
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The Ministry of Labor has started issuing work permits only to those working in companies. It has stopped issuing work permits to domestic workers.
The Cabinet meeting had decided to document and issue work permits to Nepalis working in Iraq who are willing to return to work in Iraq after returning on leave. However, the Ministry of Labor has started issuing work permits to workers working only in companies.
On December 11, the Cabinet meeting had decided to issue work permits to Nepalis who have obtained residency cards in Iraq. ‘Citizens who have obtained official visas (residency cards) will be granted work permits if they submit an application with the original and photocopy of the residency card when they come to Nepal,’ the Cabinet decision states.
The Non-Resident Nepali Association, Iraq has stated that there has been discrimination by the Department of Foreign Employment. ‘We have demanded that all Nepalis who are in Iraq. Those who are working regularly. should be given work permits. The decision of the Council of Ministers also has a clear decision to grant work permits to those who have obtained residency cards,' said NRN Iraq President Binod Shrestha, 'The department has discriminated against Nepali citizens. The discrimination that was not in the decision of the Council of Ministers has been shown in the implementation of the department.'
He said that despite repeatedly drawing attention to the Ministry of Labor and the department on behalf of the Nepalis in Iraq, there has been no hearing. 'I received a work permit. I work in a company. However, another Nepali who applied with me did not receive a work permit. This has not made us happy,' he said, 'When a worker working at home has received all the facilities. If he feels safe and is ready to go to work in the same house, the government should have facilitated it.'
According to NRN Iraq, 30,000 Nepalis are employed. 80 percent of whom are Nepali women working as domestic workers. The Ministry of Labor had amended the Foreign Employment Management Service Delivery Procedure a year ago to provide labor permits to those who had gone abroad for employment on visit visas to bring them under the scope of labor permits. That procedure had made arrangements to provide labor permits from embassies and departments to those who had gone abroad on visit visas by September 30, 2024. It also addressed domestic workers.
The Ministry of Labor had stated that it had addressed the procedure to provide labor permits to bring them under the scope of family reunification, worker welfare facilities, and social security.
Mira Acharya, Director General of the Department of Foreign Employment, said that labor permits have been granted to those working in Iraq and the autonomous state of Kurdistan (Company) in Iraq. ‘We have not yet spoken clearly about domestic workers.’ He said, ‘Iraq is not in the directive made to provide domestic labor permits. It is seen that it should be amended and added.’
