Stranded Nepali migrants to be repatriated from destination countries

Kathmandu: The government has decided to bring back the Nepali migrant workers stranded in different destination countries in the wake of COVID-19.

A meeting of the High-level Coordination Committee for the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 held Friday at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers decided to bring back home those Nepalis if they wish to return home, Committee’s Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bidari said. The Committee has also started to develop a guideline to bring the overseas workers.

Likewise, 20 border points have been designated to those overseas workers coming via land routes. The border points are Pashupatinagar, Kakadbhitta, Rani of Morang, Kunauli of Saptari, Thadi and Madar of Siraha, Bhittamod of Mahottari, Malangawa of Sarlahi, Gaur of Rautahat, Birgunj of Parsa, Maheshpur of Bara, Belhiya of Rupandehi, Taulihawa and Krishnanagar of Kapilbastu, Jamunaha of Banke, Surajpur of Bardiya, Gauriphanta of Kailali, Gaddachauki of Kanchanpur, Jhulaghat of Baitadi and Darchula.

Those expecting to come home should be eligible for their return from the destination countries and should be in dire need to return home. Likewise, the migrants sans labour contract agreement, jobless, serious patients (not from coronavirus) pregnant, children, senior citizens, and differently-able are also in the list of the repatriation.

Similarly, Nepal’s government employees in the foreign countries visiting for training or other reasons would also be brought home.

It is said that they would be brought back home in the chartered flights of Nepal Airlines and Nepal’s airlines while the foreign airlines would be chartered only if the domestic planes could not bring the Nepali nations.

Bidari said coordination would be done by collecting the details of those coming home soon. The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation would make provision of the flights after getting details from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.