'Nepal's immigration officials involved in human trafficking'

Nepal's immigration officials are colluding with human traffickers at the international airport in Kathmandu to illegally send workers, including women, to the Gulf, a parliamentary report said today.
The report found that 60 per cent of illegal migrant workers travel to the Gulf countries via TIA and the remaining 40 per cent vis India, Sri Lanka and China.
The parliamentary committee has sought punishment to the guilty officials at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA), according to sources.
Led by Prabhu Sah, the committee prepared the report after visiting Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and the UAE for 10 days in March.

The committee had suggested the government to ban Nepali people from travelling to the Gulf countries as domestic workers in April after the field visits.
"It has been found that 60 per cent of the Nepali workers taken to the Gulf countries as domestic helps had travelled through the TIA on visit visa or in collusion with the officials at the immigration office, security personals, airline staffers and agents," said a member of the probe committee citing the report.

"We have suggested identification of those involved in the illegal work and punish them immediately," he said.
The parliamentary panel in its report has also suggested mandatory labour agreement with destination countries and renewal of existing agreements.

The report has also suggested that service charge to the human resource companies should be paid through the banking channel to trace if any manpower company has been charging extra amount.
The panel has also suggested appointing a lawyer at Nepali embassies in the Gulf countries for fighting cases involving Nepali migrant workers.
It has blamed the concerned government agencies for their apathy towards the rampant human trafficking.
Organised human trafficking and smuggling, indifference of the state authorities in controlling trafficking and smuggling, deception of human resource agencies, exploitation through double work permit, sponsorship system, lack of adequate accommodation and food, ineffective diplomatic mission among others have been identified as major problems.

The decision of the government to send Nepali migrant workers with minimum expense has been a complete failure, the report said.
Nepali workers have complained that they had to pay amounts between Rs 50,000 to Rs 900,000 for jobs in various Gulf countries, it added.