Charge listed in parliamentary report

Immigration officials at Nepal’s international airport are colluding with traffickers to illegally send Nepali women to the Gulf, where they are often exploited and abused, said a parliamentary report released on Tuesday.

The parliamentary committee tasked with international relations and labour rights said the government had failed to protect Nepalis working overseas and turned a blind eye to allegations of trafficking.

More than 60% of Nepali domestic workers who end up illegally in the Gulf travelled through the main airport in Kathmandu, the report said. “[They] travel on tourist visas via Tribhuvan International Airport in direct collusion with immigration officials, airline company staff, security officials and the traffickers.”

False promises

“The rest travel via different cities in India, Sri Lanka, China and various African countries,” the report said.

The women are lured to Gulf countries on promises of well-paid jobs. Instead, they are sent to work in private homes where their passports are usually confiscated.