Kathmandu – Over 350 vulnerable Nepalis, including victims of human trafficking, stranded and irregular migrant workers have been helped to return home from abroad over the past two years through a project implemented by the UN Migration Agency (IOM) and funded by the Qatar Development Fund (QDF).

The project: ‘Return Assistance to Stranded Nepali Migrants,’ which ends in January 2018, has provided voluntary return and reintegration assistance to destitute, undocumented Nepali migrants in situations of abuse and exploitation in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, UAE, Oman, Syria, Iraq and Malaysia.

It ensured that almost 90 percent of the returnees got direct assistance on arrival in Nepal, in coordination with a local partner NGOs. Aid included reception, temporary shelter support, psychosocial counselling, medical support, and tracing/reunification with family members.

Over 200 returnees also received a USD 500-equivalent reintegration package. Most used the money for income generation and livelihood support, spending it on their farms, buying livestock, or setting up a small business, like a grocery store, tea shop or tailor. The payment was designed to help them to sustainably reintegrate back into their local community. 

National stakeholders met in Kathmandu on 21 December at a consultation organized by IOM to discuss the outcomes of the project, best practices, challenges, and the way forward on return reintegration assistance for vulnerable Nepali migrants.

Over half of all Nepali households now have at least one migrant family member currently abroad or living in Nepal as a returnee, according to data from Nepal’s Department of Foreign Employment.

Many suffer abuse and over 6,800 complaints were registered between FY 2014/15 and FY 2016/17 by labour migrants against institutions or individuals regarding fraud and malpractice during their employment process. Over 400 rescue requests were received in FY 2016/17 by the Department of Consular Services.

“While the goal of IOM and its partners is to promote the benefits of migration and the dignity and rights of migrants, there is still a need to assist those who may have been exploited or otherwise stranded through circumstances beyond their own control,” IOM Nepal Chief of Mission Paul Norton told consultation participants. 

Noting that Qatar hosted an international conference on combatting human trafficking earlier this month (6-7/12), Qatari Ambassador to Nepal Yousuf Bin Mohammad Al-Hail said: “The State of Qatar spares no effort to support international efforts to combat human trafficking and related phenomena such as forced labour, modern day slavery and child labour. Qatar has established a National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking to unify efforts of government institutions and civil society and is satisfied with the formal adoption of the Political Declaration on implementation of the UN global plan to combat trafficking in persons.” 

“Qatar has also taken a number of measures, including issuing Law No. (15)/2011 on combatting human trafficking, which bans human trafficking in all its forms, Law No. (15)/2015 that abolishes the Kafala (sponsorship) system, and Law No. (15)/2017 regarding domestic workers,” he noted.  

“The Government of Nepal has always been concerned with the protection of rights and welfare of the Nepalese workers away from home,” said the Joint Secretary of Nepal’s Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) Bhuwan Acharya. “Our aim at global, regional and national levels is to make labour migration safe, managed, orderly, regular and dignified.” 

The QDF-backed project also organized an orientation programme for newly appointed Nepali Labour Attachés/Labour Counselors, including officials from the MoLE, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Women Children & Social Welfare, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Police Department.

The training aimed to strengthen their role in the identification of trafficking victims, referral, return, and reintegration mechanisms. Other trainings have included victim protection, referral mechanisms and shelter management for local NGOs and government officials.

The project, which was launched in September 2015, was implemented by the IOM, in close coordination with the MoLE, the MFA, diplomatic missions of host countries, Nepali embassies in destination countries, and consulates in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and elsewhere in the Middle East.

For further information please contact Paul I. Norton at IOM Nepal, Tel. +977 1 4426250, Email: iomnepal@iom.int. Or Nepal’s Ministry of Labour and Employment, Tel +977 1 4211963, Email: info@mole.gov.np