Nepal - While the number of Nepali migrant workers going abroad in search of better job opportunities increases year by year, unethical recruitment leaves many vulnerable to unfair working conditions, exploitation and human trafficking. 

A consultation meeting with foreign employment agencies organized this week by the government and IOM in Kathmandu marked a step forward towards ensuring their protection.

In Nepal, the Foreign Employment Act of 2007 allows only licensed ‘sub-agents’ to recruit migrant workers on behalf of employers.

In reality, migrants are often deceived by rogue recruitment agencies, which demand excessive fees for their services, confiscate passports or produce unofficial documentation, increasing the risk of abuse and exploitation by employers.

“Unethical recruitment has negative consequences for all stakeholders in international recruitment, from Nepali migrant workers and their employers to the ethical recruiters who are unfairly disadvantaged,” says Maurizio Busatti, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Nepal.

Following an analysis of recruitment monitoring in Nepal, IOM recommended the creation of a new monitoring unit and standard operating procedures. IOM also presented its ‘International Recruitment Integrity System’ (IRIS) initiative, which aims to bring together international recruiters and employers to establish and cooperate on recruitment ethics and fair standards of operation.

“By agreeing to abide by a common code of ethical conduct, all stakeholders will have assurances that their counterparts are delivering fair and transparent services. This can benefit not only migrant workers, but also recruiters and employers, and maximize the benefits of labour migration,” notes Busatti.

The consultation was chaired by Suresh Man Shrestha, Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE), with the support of the European Union and the IOM Development Fund. Representatives from the MoLE, the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) and the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) took part.

For more information, please contact

Ken Matsueda
IOM Nepal
Tel: +977 1 4426250
Email: kmatsueda@iom.int