Nepalese workers barred from Travelling to Israel

Israel's employment for Nepalese workers, which has been suspended for a decade, has been blocked yet again.

According to the labor agreement between the Government of Nepal and the Government of Israel, most of the Nepalese workers selected to work in the long-term care center in Israel have not been able to go to Israel.

Nepalese workers had completed the process as per the agreement signed between Nepal and Israel at the government level (G to G) on "Bringing Auxiliary Workers from Nepal to Israel's Nursing Sector".

Despite being selected to work in Israel, 878 Nepalese workers have not yet been able to go there. Out of 1,175 Nepalese workers selected to work in Israel, the necessary process for visas for 1,050 support workers had already begun. Of those, 297 workers have been able to obtain visas and go to Israel for a two-day pre-departure orientation training.

Confusion among workers has grown as workers selected by the Department of Foreign Employment through various stages of examination have been delayed in leaving for Israel.

According to the Department of Foreign Employment, the issuance of visas for support workers has been delayed due to labor disputes between Israeli Foreign Ministry staff.

The department said it was receiving information from the Israeli embassy in Nepal that the dispute over the agreement was being initiated as soon as the dispute was resolved.

According to the Nepalese Embassy in Israel, Nepalese have not been able to go to Israel for some time due to the movement of the employees' union of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Nepalese Embassy has tried to clarify the reasons behind the delay in the process of bringing in workers due to the growing interest and concern of other stakeholders who are preparing to go to Israel.

The Nepalese Embassy has clarified that the visa process will be expedited and urged the workers to be patient for some time. The Nepalese embassy has also informed that discussions have been started to bring Nepalese to Israel in the construction sector as well.

But workers have expressed frustration at not being able to go to Israel despite being selected. On the social network page of the Nepalese embassy, ​​various people have expressed the view that the confusion should end soon. A worker has informed that he is losing Rs. 30,000 per month as he has left his job. He has now questioned who will pay the compensation: the Israeli government, the workers' union or Nepal's Department of Foreign Employment.

On January 20, 99 Nepalese went to Israel for the first time from Nepal for the employment of support workers in Israel's nursing sector (especially Geriatric Centers).

 Until a few years ago, due to the fact that Nepalese were going to Israel for foreign employment through the private sector, the process was stopped and a pilot project was started to bring Nepali workers to Israel from the government level (G to G). Nepalese had not been able to go to Israel for a few years after the completion of the pilot project.