Kathmandu, May 4
Nearly, 3,500 Nepali workers in Kuwait, working and living undocumented, have submitted their applications to the host government seeking repatriation. However, it is not certain when they will be sent back to Nepal as the Nepal government has barred anyone from entering the country now to control the coronavirus outbreak.
The applicants are currently staying at government-run shelters along with other similar workers from other countries. Earlier last month, the host government had urged the undocumented workers to register for repatriation.
The government has said that the workers applying for repatriation in this scheme will be sent back to their countries at the government’s expense. They will not be punished for their illegal stay and will be allowed to come back legally.
The Kuwaiti government has started negotiations with the Nepal government to repatriate them as soon as possible. Consequently, the workers have also prepared their luggage and other belongings for their travel home.
The Nepali Embassy in Kuwait says around 3,000 Nepalis have applied to the embassy for travel documents recently.
An official in the Ministry of Labour and Employment in Nepal says there are around 7,000 undocumented Nepali workers in Kuwait, but only around half of them chose to repatriate.
