Agencies illegally charging Qatar-bound Nepalese workers to be punished
Qatar and Nepal have vowed to punish manpower agencies in the Himalayan nation if they illegally charge Qatar-bound Nepalese workers money.
Qatar said categorically yesterday that its laws did not permit foreigners hired to work to pay a single penny in the process.
All expenses involved in hiring a foreign worker are paid by Qatari companies, said Qatar, adding that it needs more migrant workers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup projects.
"Our law requires Qatari companies to pay for everything to hire migrant workers and anyone who does not abide will be punished," said Qatar's Minister of Labour and Social Affairs.
H E Dr Abdullah bin Saleh Al Khulaifi told reporters in Kathmandu on the second day of his four-day official visit to Nepal: "All hiring and travel expenses for migrant workers are borne by our companies".
Al Khulaifi earlier met Nepal's Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Tek Bahadur Gurung, after meeting Foreign Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
"Talks during the meeting (with Gurung) dealt with key topics of mutual interest," QNA said.
Citing details, nepaltimes.com reported that Al Khulaifi said that among other things, Qatar was mulling providing life insurance cover to Nepalese workers.
Gurung said at a press conference after meeting Al Khulaifi that Qatar and Nepal had vowed to clamp down on manpower agencies that illegally took money from Qatar-bound Nepalese workers.
He said Nepalese manpower agencies charged workers bound for Qatar anything between Rs70,000 and Rs100,000 (QR1 is equivalent to Rs27.51).
"It is illegal. We will blacklist those manpower companies that charge money from Qatar-bound Nepalese workers," the minister was quoted as saying.
He added that Qatari companies that hired migrant workers paid for everything — from their visa fee to air ticket.
Al Khulaifi reiterated at the news conference that Qatari laws required that companies hiring migrant workers bear all expenses or face the music. [Read more on The Peninsula]
Photo by Aim 1
Moreover the So called 'open visa' that people sell here... Visa price range from 50k+ to as minimum as 1000 Riyals...
What if the new worker recruited from Nepal and started working for a couple month then he decides to go back... In this situation is it its companies responsibility to take all the expenses including the ticket to the home country... what is the proceedings for this? Also can you give the reference..