The Department of Immigration (DoI) on Saturday stopped around 100 Gulf-bound Nepali workers at the Tribhuvan International Airport for failing to submit the required documents. The move comes after the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) arrested more than three dozen immigration officials for their alleged involvement in helping manpower companies acquire work permits for around 77 workers by submitting fake documents.

Immigration officials said some of them were carrying work contracts containing conflicting details of Gulf-based companies and jobs. Many overseas recruitment agencies are found to have sent workers to different companies and professions contrary to all expectations. The Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) has said details of the employers and professions should be the same in both the pre-work approval and final work approval letters. But many manpower companies in coordination with DoFE officials are reportedly violating the rules to make easy money.

Bal Bahadur Tamang, chairman of the Nepal Association of Manpower Agencies, admitted that such problems are existing but said there should be strict monitoring of anomalies. He, however, said honest manpower companies and workers with genuine documents should not be punished.

A representative of Oman Air, requesting anonymity, said the stranded workers were the passengers of Air Arabia, Qatar Airways and Oman Air. He said over 300 workers will be stranded each day if the authorities did not resolve this problem. The airlines on Saturday held consultations with the DoI and the TIA officials to find a solution.

Four manpower operators in CIAA net

The Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority on Saturday arrested four manpower operators on the charge of bribing officials at the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE). Operators of Advance Recruitment Service P Ltd, Chitra Gupta Sanwa and Harka Bahadur Limbu; Sanaa International Recruitment Service International’s chief Mohammed Mostak Miya; Progressive Placement P Ltd’s chief Shyam Prasad Shrestha were arrested and subsequently taken into custody.

CIAA arrested over three dozen government officials on the charge of sending Nepali migrant workers to aboard by producing fake documents on Friday. A source close to the CIAA, requesting anonymity, said Director General of DoFE Binod KC has been asked to submit original documents of 78 migrant workers that were mysteriously disappeared from the DoFE by Sunday. “He has been asked to submit three original documents concerning the case. If not, even the DG will be taken into custody and an investigation will be intensified,” said the CIAA source.

According to the Foreign Employment Act 2007, the DoFE director general is responsible for issuing the pre-work approvals before the final approvals are issued by his subordinates.

Published on: 25 August 2013 | The Kathmandu Post