Govt may lift ban on Nepali workers to Iraq

KATHMANDU, July 26: The July 20 notice of the US Contracting Command in Iraq, which requires all illegal Nepali workers to leave the country by August 9, has led Nepali policy makers mull whether to lift the seven-year ban on export of Nepali workers to the war-ravaged West Asian country.

Policy makers at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) and Ministry of Labor and Transport Management (MoLTM) have started groundwork to that end from Friday, expecting that lifting of the ban may impress the US contracting command to consider the case of an estimated over 30,000 illegal Nepali workers.


Following the notice of the command, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has consulted its missions in Pakistan, UAE, Qatar, India and USA on the issue and has suggested the MoLT in writing to review the ban.

“MoFA has asked us in writing to lift the ban, arguing that the context when the ban was imposed has changed,” said a senior official at MoLTM on condition of anonymity.

When asked about the changed context, a knowledgeable MoFA official said, “The export of Nepali workers to Iraq was banned following the killing of 12 Nepali workers in Iraq. It would be in the best interest of the country to review the policy as the situation in Iraq has also improved significantly.”

MoFA sent a letter to MoLTM with its opinion on lifting the ban last Friday.

A recent decision by the Indian government on lifting a similar ban has also encouraged MoFA to conclude that the restriction should be reviewed. According to MoFA officials, India revoked the ban in May this year.

Last Tuesday, the Centcom Contracting Command issued the notice in the light of US agencies employing Nepalis and Filipinos without complying with the US and international law. “USF-I intends to conduct inspections of mancamps throughout Iraq to ensure contractor compliance,” it warned.

The command provides responsive operational contracting support to the chiefs of mission, multinational forces -- Iraq and Combined Forces Command-- Afghanistan to efficiently acquire vital supplies, services and construction in support of the Coalition Forces, according to the command´s website.

Besides, it also provides capacity building to establish effective contracting and procurement processes with the Iraqi and Afghani ministries to build and sustain self-sufficient security forces.

The ban on sending Nepalis to Iraq is in place since August, 2004 when the country saw mayhem in the streets of Kathmandu and across the country, resulting into a loss of millions of rupees, in protest of the killing of 12 Nepalis by Islamic militants in Iraq.

But the ban did not prove a deterrent. Nepalis continued to go to Iraq, which ultimately forced the government in 2008 to stamp on passports saying “not valid to travel to Iraq”. But this measure has also not worked.

As it received suggestion to revoke the ban, MoLTM wrote to MoFA on Sunday, asking for further information vital for taking any decision on the restriction.

In its letter, MoLTM has asked the foreign ministry to provide information on the issues: a) What should be done to those who have already been to Iraq despite the ban, b) If the ban should be lifted what should be the criteria, c) What strategies Indian government has taken while lifting the similar ban, and d) How an estimated 30,000 people reached Iraq despite the ban and issuance of passports restricting travel to Iraq.

Meanwhile, MoFA has alerted its mission in Pakistan, USA and Kuwait to take stock of the conditions of the Nepalis who will be affected by the notice of the Command.

Source: http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=21453