KATHMANDU, Sept 2: Not only developed countries, even poor country like Afghanistan has also begun to lure Nepali youths seeking greener pastures abroad. They are risking their lives to work in the country battered by terrorism for handsome remuneration that employers offer to them.
Thanks to higher pay offered by private companies and UN agencies, the numbers of Nepali workers leaving for the war-torn SAARC nation has been significantly increasing over a couple of years. According to the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), the number increased to 1,538 persons in 2008/09 fiscal year from a nominal 32 persons in 2005/06 fiscal year.
However, the number of workers heading to Afghanistan through institutional channel is very low as compared to those entering the country through individual relations.
Data shows that out of the total 1,538 Nepalis who left for Afghanistan during the period, 1,385 workers got their jobs through individual relations and manpower agencies arranged jobs to only 153 workers. Nepali workers started entering the impoverished Islamic state from 2002/03 to work in the construction sector and other rehabilitation works run by private companies and the United Nations. Most of Nepali ex-Gurkha soldiers are employed in UN-affiliated agencies as security guards. According to the DoFE, 12 Nepali workers left for Afghanistan through individual relations during mid-July till mid-August.
Universal Connection Pvt Ltd is one of the Nepali agencies than send Nepali ex-Gurkhas through UK and Singapore-based IDG Securities to United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to work as security guards. However, Padam Upadhyaya, managing director of the company, declined to make comments about the demands of ex-Gurkhas in Afghanistan.
Bed Prakash Lekhak, under secretary at the Ministry of Labor and Transport Management, told myrepublica.com that they have been giving permissions only to workers who want to go Afghanistan through manpower agencies. "We have not given individual permissions," Lekhak said. He, however, added that individual permissions are granted to workers, who managed to enter Afghanistan via other countries, including India, and returned home on leave.
UN bodies in Afghanistan demand Nepali ex-Gurkhas to work as security guards. Workers getting opportunities to work in UN agencies through institutional process aren´t required to pay commission to brokers and get better pay than those entering the country through personal contacts. The paycheck of Nepali workers range from $1,000 to 2,000 depending on their skills.
Lekhak said UNAMA and UNDP have recently demanded 65 and 50 Nepali ex-Gurkha security guards respectively. Universal Connection applied at DoFE for prior approval to send ex-Gurkhas to Afghanistan on July 15.
Nepali manpower agents say increasing number of Nepali workers are heading to Afghanistan because of higher earnings. Gyanu Gaire, general secretary of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA), said the number of Nepali workers heading to Afghanistan was increasing due to lucrative remuneration and less restriction by the government. Gaire also said Nepali workers are in demand to work in security camps of multinational force, caterers, security firms and cleaners.
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