KATHMANDU: Minister for Youth, Labour and Employment Ramjee Yadav has said the government is preparing to amend the Foreign Employment Act to address emerging challenges and make the law more relevant to current realities.
Responding to lawmakers’ questions during deliberations on the Appropriation Bill in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Yadav said the amendment process aims to modernize foreign employment policies and resolve longstanding issues in the sector.
The minister said the existing free visa, free ticket provision has placed additional burdens on migrant workers and that a task force has been formed to study possible alternatives and recommend reforms.
He noted that more than three million Nepali citizens are currently employed abroad and stressed the need to manage the foreign employment sector in a more scientific and systematic manner.
Yadav also revealed that thousands of Nepali domestic workers are employed in various countries without obtaining labour approval, creating difficulties when problems arise and requiring government intervention.
The ministry is giving special attention to the issue, he said, adding that around 60,000 domestic workers are currently working in Kuwait alone without labour permits.
The minister emphasized that legal and policy reforms are necessary to better protect migrant workers and strengthen governance in Nepal’s foreign employment sector.
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