The government is devising a long-term strategy to ensure the safety and security of Nepali nationals abroad amid the ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran and escalating conflict in West Asia.

All these years, successive governments have adopted ad hoc measures to address such issues during crises without proper planning.

Lok Bahadur Poudel Chettri, head of the public diplomacy division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that, in addition to formulating long-term policies and strategies, the government is considering establishing an institutional mechanism that automatically activates when situations like the one in West Asia arise.

One of the clauses in the 100-point roadmap unveiled by the new Rastriya Swatantra Party-led government for good governance includes “studying the impact of regional and sectoral crises and formulating necessary policies and programmes.” Chhetri said devising a long-term strategy is part of the roadmap.

Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal is leading an eight-member panel to recommend such a policy and strategy. The panel is also studying how to address the grievances of Nepali citizens living and working in West Asian countries as the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its second month. The panel has 30 days to accomplish the job.

“The study will focus on the impacts of crises in Central and West Asian countries, particularly the effects on global migration, cross-border trade, labour mobility, natural disasters, energy issues, and other related fields in Nepal. This will involve timely evaluation and management of impacts, as well as coordination with various relevant ministries, including, foreign affairs, labour, agriculture, industry, and energy,” says the blueprint on good governance.

The study will also work towards preparing a comprehensive high-level report that will detail the short-, medium-, and long-term policies and programmes for addressing these issues. Based on its recommendations, necessary decisions and implementation processes will be expedited.

The Khanal-led committee has already held four meetings following the announcement of the roadmap. Besides recommending a long-term policy and strategy, the meeting also discussed how to bring back the Nepali citizens who are unable to return due to limited flights.

“There are around 300 people in difficulties. Some have family issues and others have health, or work contract issues. So we are now focusing on how to bring them back as soon as possible,” Chettri told the Post.

The Khanal-led panel is also working to set up a permanent mechanism, along with the long-term policy and strategy, to monitor the global situation, conflict and crises so the government can act promptly to protect its citizens.

“We are exploring options like sending Nepal Airlines aircraft. If we use our national carrier, we also need to fix the airfare, among other things,” he said.

“There is another group of Nepali citizens who are complaining of job losses and potential job losses or delayed salaries, among other things. Their number is smaller. We are considering how to help them,” he added.

The government is sending one none–scheduled flight of Nepal Airlines to Dubai on Friday where it will bring Nepali people who are facing troubles there and one dozen dead bodies, according to one foreign ministry official. Similarly, the ministry is sending a second none–scheduled flight to Dammam, Saudi Arabia on Sunday where the flight will bring the Nepali who wish to return as well as some dead bodies too.

Likewise on Wednesday, the Kuwaiti authorities sent a chartered flight to Bhairahawa that consisted of 291 deportees and nine dead bodies.

According to Nepali Embassy in Kuwait, in the current situation where Kuwait’s airspace and regular Kuwait–Kathmandu flights are suspended, the Embassy, with the support of Kuwait Airways, on Wednesday sent to Nepal—via a special flight—Nepali deportees who were returned from Kuwait for various reasons, as well as the bodies of nine Nepali citizens who had died in Kuwait.

This is the first time that Kuwait has sent the deportees on a chartered flight.

It is estimated that over four million Nepali nationals are currently living and working in countries other than India. In the Persian Gulf region alone, over two million Nepalis are living and working, as per government records, while another around half-a-million Nepalis are living and working there and are not in government data. Likewise, as many as 1.5 million Nepali nationals live outside India and the Gulf region.

The ministry is also working to address grievances received daily by the Department of Passports and Department of Consular Services.

On average, the passport department receives 1,300 inquiries on a daily basis, while the consular services department receives 1,000, according to Chhetri. Nepali missions aboard receive over 5,000 calls per day, besides queries through official websites of the departments.

Despite efficient service being provided by the passport and consular departments, the government plans to develop an integrated technology-based system to address these calls and queries, spokesperson Chhetri told the Post.

“We are listing out the calls, inquiries that our departments are receiving, and will address them in an integrated manner,” he said.