DOHA: Nepal may urge Qatar to make sure that its nationals coming here to take up jobs are provided work visas free of cost, as also one-way air tickets.
Qatari companies give visas to foreign workers free of cost but manpower agencies in their home countries tend to exploit them and squeeze money out of them in the name of service charges.
There are an estimated 400,000 Nepalese workers in Qatar, Kathmandu-based online newspaper myrepublica.com reported as Qatar’s Minister of Labour and Social Affairs arrived in the Himalayan nation yesterday.
According to Qatar News Agency (QNA), H E Dr Abdullah bin Saleh Al Khulaifi reached Nepal last evening with a delegation on a four-day official visit.
“The Minister will look into issues of mutual interest and discuss ways to enhance bilateral relations between the two friendly countries,” QNA said.
During his four-day stay, Al Khulaifi will hold bilateral talks with his Nepali counterpart, Tek Bahadur Gurung.
“Labour and employment issues will dominate the talks,” Republica reported on March 31 quoting the embassy of Qatar in Kathmandu.
Secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Employment of Nepal, Bhola Siwkoti, told Repulbica that Nepal will raise the issue of its migrant workers in Qatar during the visit of Al Khulaifi.
“We already have an MoU (memorandum of understanding) signed with Qatar on issues related to migrant workers,” he said.
According to Republica, Al Khulaifi is accompanied by a delegation that consists of senior labour ministry officials, including the director of his office, Mohamed Al Solaiti, Director of Labour Inspection Khalid Al Ghanim, legal expert Saleh Ali Al Khaldi, and public relations director Ali Abdullah Ashkinani.
During his visit, Al Khulaifi will also make courtesy calls on Nepal’s President Dr Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Sushil Koirala.
The Qatari minister and his delegation will leave Kathmandu on April 7, the online newspaper said. It added that Qatar remained a highly popular destination for Nepalese workers.
The newspaper lauded Qatar for it plans to take reform measures, including replacing the sponsorship and exit permit rules, which would benefit foreign workers in the country. THE PENINSULA
