Two thousand Nepalis are currently in legal trouble in Portugal due to fake 'stamps'. Therefore, since around two thousand Nepalis go abroad for employment every day, the Nepal government itself should work more on this issue.
What you should know
Foreign employment has become a compulsion for many Nepalis due to the lack of employment opportunities within the country according to their qualifications and abilities. For some, they have also gone abroad for employment, attracted by attractive opportunities and the possibility of personal development.
Whatever the compulsion and aspiration, this issue is the reality of millions of Nepalis these days. The greater the number of people leaving Nepal, the greater the potential for problems in the destination country. News about Nepalis who are in trouble individually or collectively in different countries is becoming public in a few weeks or months.
Nepalis going for foreign employment lack adequate information and knowledge of the laws and regulations of other countries. Among them, the incidents of document-related problems dominate. Two thousand Nepalis are currently in legal trouble in Portugal due to fake 'stamps'. Therefore, since about two thousand Nepalis go for foreign employment every day, the Nepalese government should work more on this issue.
The 'Integration, Immigration and Refugee Agency (AIMA), the authorized body that grants legal status to immigrants in Portugal, has concluded that the verification stamp on the police report while evaluating the application for a Temporary Residence Permit (TRC) was fake, thereby abusing the immigration system. On this basis, AIMA has also instructed hundreds of Nepalis to leave the country within a certain time limit through emails.
Some emails have also warned of imprisonment of up to one year and deportation. After the removal of Nepal's honorary consul general in Portugal and before the Nepali embassy began providing services, it has been revealed that fake 'stamps' and signatures of the Portuguese embassy in India were used by brokers and cyber groups for 150 to 200 euros. At that time, it was necessary to go to France to get the police report stamped, but this was not practical for many. Therefore, local cyber operators took the job online to get the stamps from the Nepali embassy in Delhi and the Portuguese embassy. They were cheated.
The number of Nepalis living in Portugal legally is about 40,000. It is estimated that the number of Nepalis who have not received TRC or are in the process of getting it after reaching Portugal with visas from European countries such as Romania, Greece, Croatia, Malta and others is more than 10,000. Many of them have reached there by paying a large sum of money. Since they first reached Portugal and stayed for a certain period of time, they were able to easily enter this country. They also had access to all of Europe. Although the changes in the rules there have caused difficulties from time to time, the number of Nepalis arriving has not decreased. However, problems have arisen when documents are neglected or fraud occurs.
After AIMA started sending emails, victims have started contacting the Nepali Embassy in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. 850 people have already complained in writing and 400 through email. It is said that this number could reach 2,000 people. It is clear that if this problem is not resolved, hundreds of Nepalis will have to return to the country, face imprisonment or be deported.
Therefore, the main issue is to first solve the current problem. For this, the diplomatic initiative of the state is indispensable. Nepali citizens have been cheated on the contrary. Therefore, the government should take diplomatic initiative to ensure that the process is completed and they can apply again. Although Nepali Ambassador to Portugal Prakash Mani Poudel has already met and talked to the AIMA President. He has also requested that even if there is a legal error, it be looked at from a humanitarian perspective and given a chance. There has been no response from the Portuguese side. If the government can take serious diplomatic initiatives, positive results can be achieved.
The number of people going for foreign employment from our country is large. This is also the main economic basis for millions of households. Remittances are also being received for the country. It has contributed to foreign currency reserves. In this sense, the Nepali side should be sensitive to the process of foreign employment.
Therefore, an information system should be developed that makes every process clear to the worker, from planning to going for foreign employment until staying in the destination country. Necessary facilitation should be provided. A system should be developed that allows every worker to easily access even minor information such as what to do and what not to do, how to solve any problems, and which agency to seek help from in case of confusion. Workers should also take into account the laws and traditions of Nepal and the destination country.
The documents should be made genuine and strong. Because, if any problem arises, the person who will suffer is himself. In addition, many other people like him will also have to face unnecessary surveillance. The country's reputation will also be affected. We will have to face shame in diplomatic relations. If such aspects can be taken into account, problems like those in Portugal will not be repeated elsewhere.
