469 Nepali workers have been left stranded after Saidal International Company in Juwail, Saudi Arabia was closed. These workers, who have not been paid for months, are in need of food, shelter and medicine.

This situation is not just a case of a company going bankrupt. This is a deep blow to the lives, dreams and self-esteem of Nepali workers. Nepali workers are sweating not only for their families but also for the country's economy in the destination country. But the state's silence regarding their condition during the crisis has become a serious question.

First of all, the role of the Nepali Embassy in Saudi Arabia comes into question in this crisis. The first responsibility of the embassy is to ensure the safety of workers. The embassy should have been proactive in sending an emergency team to the scene, understanding the situation, providing relief materials to the workers, arranging temporary shelter and proceeding with the legal process. But looking at the situation so far, the response of the embassy seems to be slow, vague and limited to formalities, which has made the problem more serious than solved.

The government of Nepal, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Labor, should take this incident seriously. The government should negotiate with the Saudi government at a high diplomatic level and take the initiative to get the arrears of Nepali workers. In addition, it has become imperative to start the rescue process immediately by operating a relief fund through the Foreign Employment Board. In order to deal with such incidents in the long term, it seems necessary to have a workforce development, preparedness and emergency intervention plan.

Meanwhile, the non-resident Nepalese association, human rights organizations, labor unions and civil society cannot remain silent. They can raise their voices through international networks, collect relief for victimized workers, provide legal aid and conduct vigorous campaigns. This problem is not only the responsibility of the government, but the entire Nepalese community.

According to the Saudi labor law, workers can file a collective lawsuit through the Labor Court to resolve such problems. But such a legal process is not easy. That requires language, documentation, evidence, legal assistance and representation. In such matters, the Nepali Embassy should take the initiative and prepare a legal team to guide the workers.

This incident has also exposed the weakness of our labor immigration system. It is clear that there is a weak mechanism for regulating labor sending agents, assessing the risk of employment companies and predicting potential problems in the destination country. The government should take this as an opportunity and prepare a blueprint for reform.

Finally, foreign employment is the backbone of the Nepalese economy, while those workers are ambassadors of the nation. Failure to protect them is the moral downfall of the entire nation. Even now, if the state continues to turn a blind eye, not only the workers, but all of us will lose faith. The dignity of the nation can be saved only if we start looking at those workers as 'citizens who have gone for employment' and not as 'labor ambassadors of the nation'.

– Santosh Simkhada , Tokyo, Japan