Sabin Mishra

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Kathmandu, December 22

Around 200 Nepali migrant workers are stranded in Kuwait at present due to Kharafi National Company Kuwait — a multinational construction firm — facing management problems since the last few months. Along with other foreign workers, Nepali migrant workers are also facing problems due to this since the past three months.

Nepali migrant workers who were sent to Kharafi National by SOS Manpower Services, Lotus Human Resource and Al Karim Overseas are facing problems there. “The construction company is facing practical problems and I have heard that 200 Nepali workers have been directly affected by it,” said Hem Bahadur Gurung, owner of SOS Manpower.

Gurung further informed that the government and the manpower agencies are trying to rescue them from Kuwait. “I have personally rescued 20 workers when I was in Kuwait a few days back. We are now holding discussions with the concerned government authorities and I think the rescue process will be completed within the next few days,” he informed.

“The problem did not occur due to the workers or the manpower agencies. It is an internal issue of the company due to the dispute between the owners,” Gurung clarified.

Labour and Employment Minister Farmullah Mansur informed that the ministry has directed the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), Foreign Employment Promotion Board (FEPB) and manpower agencies to rescue the affected Nepali workers as soon as possible.

“Our main concern is the security of Nepali migrant workers and all the concerned agencies must play an effective role to help them,” Mansur told The Himalayan Times.

Mansur also informed that the ministry has directed FEPB to release the necessary budget to rescue the stranded workers from Kuwait.

“The government authorities and manpower agencies are in contact with the Nepali embassy in Kuwait to complete the rescue process as soon as possible,” he stated. “The FEPB will release the money to rescue the stranded workers on need basis.”

As per manpower agencies, Nepali migrant workers who are working in Kharafi National had been facing problems since the last four months, however they informed the government agencies only a month back. After receiving complaints from the workers who have been stranded there, the DoFE and FEPB started the rescue process.

“We are in regular contact with the representatives of Nepali embassy in Kuwait and the process to rescue the stranded workers will be completed soon,” informed Mohan Adhikari, spokesperson for DoFE.

As per Gurung, Nepali migrant workers who were working in the site office of the company were the ones to face the problem initially. But later, the problem expanded to the entire company.

A version of this article appears in print on December 23, 2017 of The Himalayan Times.

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