KATHMANDU:- The Government of Nepal has decided to provide work permits to Nepali workers working in Iraq and begin documenting them.
The Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) has welcomed the government’s decision, calling it an important and positive step towards protecting the rights and interests of Nepali workers.
The statement issued by the association states that thousands of Nepali workers have been facing various legal and consular problems as Iraq has been on the list of banned labor destinations for the past two decades.
The association has expressed confidence that the government’s latest decision will bring these workers within the legal framework and legalize their employment.
According to the NRNA, the number of Nepalis going to Iraq for employment is increasing despite the ban. Currently, 12,000 Nepali workers are working in Iraqi Kurdistan and around 4,000 in Baghdad and other areas, working in local and multinational companies, embassies of various countries, hotels, airports, oil and gas production companies, and domestic labor sectors.
The association says that the government’s decision has opened up an easy legal path for around 30,000 Nepali workers with Iraqi residence cards to travel to Nepal and has also provided legality to their employment. Previously, Nepali workers had been facing difficulties in obtaining passport renewals, legal services, and other consular services due to restrictions.
The Non-Resident Nepali Association has expressed confidence that this step will further connect Nepalis in Iraq with their homeland and help them bring back to Nepal the knowledge, skills, and capital they have acquired abroad. Additionally, the association expects an environment to be created to legally connect children born in Iraq to Nepal, bring Nepalese who are illegally residing there under the law, and re-list Iraq as a safe labor destination in the future.
A few weeks ago, a delegation including the association’s president, Mahesh Kumar Shrestha, and NCC Iraq president, Binod Shrestha, had requested the government to take initiatives to review the ban and resolve the problem.