The Department of Foreign Employment has taken action against 159 manpower companies for sending Nepali workers abroad through Indian airports without authorisation. The department found these companies in violation of Section 22 of the Foreign Employment Act, 2064, and issued a first-time warning against them.
According to the department, it had sought flight details of workers who went abroad on labour permits between March 15 and the second week of June to study and monitor whether licensed foreign employment agencies were complying with the legal requirement to use domestic airports.
Of the 1,117 licensed agencies currently in operation, only 678 submitted the requested details. Among those that did submit details, 159 were found to have sent workers via Indian airports without the department’s approval.
Similarly, 439 manpower companies that failed to submit the requested details at all were found to have violated Section 37 of the Foreign Employment Act and have been issued a first-time warning, along with instructions to submit the details again.
The department also fined eight manpower companies, which had repeatedly violated laws, rules, and directives, at a rate of Rs 50,000 per person. Of these, three were penalised for again flying workers out via India, and five for failing to submit the requested details.
The department has urged foreign employment operators to fully comply with the law and departmental directives, warning of stricter action if such activities are repeated.
Under the Foreign Employment Act, workers going abroad for employment must be sent via domestic airports; use of a foreign airport requires prior approval from the department. After receiving complaints that some manpower companies were routing workers through Indian airports, the department issued a notice in July 10, directing companies to report which airports they had used to send workers.
