Labor Permit Reopening Decision for Seven Gulf and Other Countries

March 19, Kathmandu – The Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security has reopened labor permits for seven countries including those in the Gulf region.

Following the ongoing conflict between Israel, the USA, and Iran, issuance and renewal of labor permits across 12 countries were temporarily suspended.

A ministerial meeting held on February 28 decided to temporarily halt labor permit issuance. However, after receiving complaints from Nepalese currently on leave abroad who face difficulties returning home, the ministry decided on March 16 to resume labor permits for Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Jordan, and Turkey.

This government decision has sparked debate. Some individuals working in the foreign employment sector have criticized it as inappropriate.

Rajendra Bhandari, former president of the Foreign Employment Association, said the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) should seek alternative solutions to their problems and that reopening labor permits was a wrong move.

He pointed out that many were unable to return due to the NRNA convention and argued that the labor permits should only have been reopened for those specific individuals.

He also warned that sending workers back abroad while the conflict persists could create situations requiring future evacuations.

“The war hasn’t ended. It’s not right to reopen permits for everyone just because NRNA members have problems,” he questioned. “If workers on home leave are granted new labor permits and face evacuation immediately after arriving abroad, what will we do then?”

He added that daily over 200 workers have started obtaining labor permits again, which could lead to further complications if evacuations become necessary.

On the other hand, the government has stated that the decision was made in response to numerous complaints from Nepalese facing difficulties.

Ramkaji Khadka, Joint Secretary for the West Asia Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, explained that labor permits were reopened because the situation in those countries was deemed stable rather than sensitive.

He noted that these countries are not directly involved in the Israel-Iran conflict and that air routes to Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iraq remain closed. Hence, labor permits have been reopened only for other countries.

The third meeting of the Emergency Response Team, chaired by Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, had decided to recommend reopening labor permits to the Ministry of Labour. Based on this, the ministry made its decision.

The ministry cited several reasons for reopening labor permits: the situation has improved from sensitive to stable, limited flights have resumed, requests and petitions from Nepalese associations and various individuals in those countries, as well as complaints raised in the media.