Kathmandu, May 22
The KP Oli government is preparing to bring home the bodies of migrant workers in the event of their death abroad using the national flag-carrier. The Foreign Employment Promotion Board is making preparations to reach an agreement to this effect with the Nepal Airlines Corporation, in view of the fact that it takes months to bring the bodies home with most of the international flights hesitating to transport the bodies.
“Most of the times, business airlines refuse to transport the bodies of migrant workers, so we face difficulties in bringing them home,” Govinda Mani Bhurtel, spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour and Employment, says. He says: That’s why, we readied a plan to bring such bodies home by signing periodic agreements with the flag-carrier. The board hopes the move will also go a long way in the rescue of migrant workers stranded abroad.
It is extremely necessary to end a situation in which we have to bring the bodies home by paying exorbitant fares, Bhurtel says, adding: Most of the airlines do not want to transport the bodies. That’s why preparations are afoot to bring bodies using NAC flights.
Using international airlines to bring the bodies home is both time consuming and expensive. On an average day, such flights bring three bodies of migrant workers home. Still, a number of such bodies are lying abroad unclaimed.
However, Dipendra Poudel, deputy director at the board, says it is possible to reach an understanding with NAC on bringing such bodies home from Malaysia and Qatar.
Out of several major destinations for Nepalis, NAC operates flights to Malaysia and Qatar only, Poudel says, adding: For now, we can use NAC to bring bodies from the two countries only.
The board plans to sign deals with budget airlines for bringing the bodies home from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
“Most of the airlines hesitate to carry the bodies. Even if they show willingness, bringing bodies home takes a lot of time,” Poudel points, adding: After reaching deals with airlines, bodies arrive home quickly.
