Kathmandu, March 17 – The Nepali government has decided to partially resume issuing labor approvals previously suspended to send migrant workers to parts of the Gulf region, even as the region remains affected by the ongoing US-Iran conflict.
Following joint US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, which triggered retaliatory strikes by Iran targeting US and Israeli assets in the region, the Nepali government on March 1 suspended the issuance of labor approvals for Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Iraq, Yemen, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, and Israel, citing concerns over the safety of Nepali workers.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, Nepal’s Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security said it has decided to resume granting labor approvals for Nepali workers currently employed in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Yemen, Jordan, and Turkey – excluding Iran, Israel, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Lebanon.
“Additionally, workers who have returned to Nepal on leave and wish to go back to these countries for employment will also be eligible to obtain labor approvals,” the ministry said.
The ministry added that the decision to resume labor approvals for certain Gulf countries was taken after receiving requests from the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), Nepali embassies in the concerned countries, and workers who were unable to renew their labor permits. It said the move was based on recommendations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a letter from the Department of Foreign Employment.
The ministry further stated that the suspension of labor approvals for the remaining six countries will continue, as the security situation there has not yet fully improved.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, over 1.7 million Nepali nationals are employed across a dozen countries in the region.
The foreign ministry revealed last week that one Nepali national has died and 15 others have been injured in Iranian attacks in West Asia. A Nepali youth, Diwas Shrestha, from the western district of Gorkha, was killed during a drone interception operation at Zayed International Airport in the UAE.