PM Karki Orders Immediate Measures to Curb Irregularities in Foreign Employment Sector

Kathmandu, Dec 8 — Prime Minister Sushila Karki has instructed government agencies to take swift and decisive action to address long-standing irregularities in the foreign employment sector.

During a meeting on Monday with officials from the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and the Department of Foreign Employment, the Prime Minister emphasised that protecting Nepali migrant workers from exploitation, hardship, and risky conditions must be the government’s top priority.

According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, PM Karki also ordered an urgent rescue operation for Nepali women stranded in Kuwait, while the meeting reviewed multiple labour and migration-related concerns.

The Prime Minister cautioned policymakers against favouring foreign employment agencies when drafting laws and regulations. Instead, she stressed that the welfare and safety of citizens seeking jobs abroad must guide all decisions.

“Policies should not be shaped to serve manpower agencies. They must be held accountable to ensure migrant workers are protected and not exposed to danger,” she remarked.

Highlighting the mandatory pre-departure requirements, PM Karki reminded officials to strictly enforce language training, job-specific knowledge, and skill development for all outbound workers. “If the state charges fees for foreign employment, it carries the responsibility to guarantee complete immigration safety,” she said.

She also called for tougher action against brokers who deceive people—especially from rural regions—into unsafe foreign employment, as well as manpower companies in cities that exploit job-seekers.

The meeting was attended by Law Minister Anil Kumar Sinha, Communications and Information Technology Minister Jagadish Kharel, Chief Secretary Suman Raj Aryal, secretaries from the Prime Minister’s Office Raj Kumar Shrestha and Gobinda Bahadur Karki, Labour Ministry Secretary Krishnahari Pushkar, Foreign Ministry Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, and Law Ministry Secretary Parashwor Dhungana.