45-degree hot sun, 8 to 12 hours of hard labor, lower than expected salary and the desire for a bright future! This is the real story of the large group of Nepalese youth struggling in the Gulf countries. 

Those youth are always compared to money by their own family, society and the nation, and evaluated on the basis of remittances.  And, the state machinery also often ignores their existence and struggle, not realizing that ‘they are Nepali citizens’. 

Whenever the issue of the rights of workers in foreign employment is raised, debates are started on the issue of providing them with concessions and various administrative bodies put forward various arguments.  The administrative machinery neither comes to any conclusion nor gives any satisfactory answer to the questions raised by the workers.  And, the voice of the workers is limited to social media. 

One area in Nepal where various problems have taken root badly is foreign employment. It needs to be improved from the initial stage to the final stage. In theory, the Nepalese government has put forward the idea of ​​'free visa, free ticket', but due to its ineffective implementation, many workers share their experiences of paying large sums of money to manpower and agents for foreign employment.

Without the guarantee of employment in foreign employment, workers within Nepal are already financially exploited. Most of them are already burdened with debt. Therefore, they are forced to go for foreign employment under any circumstances, do any work, compromise on one job for another, and work for very low wages. On top of that, Nepalis have also suffered undeservedly due to language problems, high dependence on others, and lack of knowledge of the general laws of the country they are coming to.

Everyone is aware of the prevailing situation in foreign employment. However, instead of improving this sector in a timely manner and identifying the real problems and finding long-term solutions to them, various rules are implemented by various bodies in some cases.

Theoretically, all the rules and regulations seem correct . However, the section for which the policy-rules-laws are made is neither included in the discussion phase nor in the decision-making process, which leads to the real situation of those sections being overlooked . And, when rules and regulations that are not in harmony with the practical side are implemented, the workers are in even more trouble .

Thinking from the side of the workers, making timely decisions, and formulating clear and practical policies and regulations and implementing them effectively is relatively rare . This has created a situation where reform efforts are also ineffective and incomplete . And, instead of solving the real problem, the subject matter becomes even more complicated . 

In today's era of digital technology, instead of becoming faster, easier and more transparent, the processes related to public services are becoming increasingly complex and impractical . As the complexity of public service delivery increases, the public's trust in the government mechanism decreases.

Let's look at a common example - if Nepalis who have a residence permit or employment visa in the Middle East need to use an Indian airport to go to the UAE or a Middle Eastern country for work or for some other reason, they will also have to show a labor permit at the Indian airport due to the decision of the Nepali government. And, if that is not the case, a 'no objection letter' issued by the Nepali embassy or Delhi will be mandatory. If they cannot present it, Nepalis will not be able to go to Middle Eastern countries even if they have a residence visa and card.

If a worker's family has a 'dependent' visa, there is no labor permit. And, in their case too, a 'no objection letter' must be shown. Most people do not know this, they only find out once they reach the airport. Nepalis going to Europe and America can travel easily and without restrictions using the same airport. However, Nepalis working in the Gulf countries have to face the cumbersome procedures implemented by their own agencies even in other countries despite having a residence visa. Similarly, if a worker's family has a 'dependent' visa, there is no labor permit. And, in their case too, 'no
An objection letter must be shown. Most people do not know this, they only find out once they reach the airport. Nepalis going to Europe and America can travel easily and without restrictions using the same airport. However, Nepalis working in the Gulf countries have to face the cumbersome procedures implemented by their own agencies even in other countries despite having a residence visa.

To eliminate the discriminatory provisions prevalent in foreign employment, it is first necessary to change the overall attitude of Nepali society and the state towards Nepalis working in the Gulf countries. Whatever the job, position and place, every worker seeks recognition and respect for his or her labor. It is the responsibility of the state to ensure respect for the labor of its citizens.

Let's look at another example - now you can see on social media, the colored passport page of a Nepali citizen and the tax bill shared by many who paid at the airport customs while carrying a beruwa ring or a simple ring while working abroad. That photo has soured the hearts of everyone working abroad. It has reminded many of the bitter experiences they have had when they went to Nepal and left Nepal for foreign employment.

Workers working in the Gulf countries are sometimes told to control human trafficking, sometimes to control gold smuggling, sometimes they are not allowed to travel without an NOC even if they have a residence and employment visa, and sometimes they have to submit a ticket bill! Putting forward many such arguments, sometimes they are written in their passports as 'Permit Only for Visit', 'Not Allowed to Work', 'Employment Prohibited'. Sometimes, a tax bill is imposed on 15-20 grams of gold jewelry bought with the money saved by hard work abroad.

The socially, educationally and economically weaker sections are the most affected in the process from coming to foreign employment to returning to Nepal. They do not have sufficient information about the rules, procedures and rights. They are highly dependent on others. And, due to lack of correct information or even if they receive correct information, they end up in a situation where they are cheated and have to pay unnecessary fines.

Therefore, it is necessary for every state body to listen seriously to the voices of those employed abroad (especially workers in the Middle East). Their reasonable demands must be addressed. And, the situation of having to struggle for basic rights every time they come and go from Nepal should be ended.

Whether it is the internal labor market or the international labor market, workers' access to both should be left open. An open labor market gives workers the freedom to choose jobs based on their skills and abilities on a competitive basis. Any good labor market seeks competent and skilled manpower.