The government has said it cannot immediately send 1,153 Nepali workers who were excluded from the previous lucky draw selection process for jobs at long-term care centres in Israel, despite having qualified for recruitment.

Issuing a press statement on Tuesday, the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security urged the excluded candidates to participate again in future recruitment processes.

According to the ministry, Nepali workers have been deployed to institutional long-term care facilities in Israel as auxiliary caregivers under a bilateral labour agreement signed between Nepal and Israel in 2020.

In the second phase of recruitment, Israel selected 2,112 workers through a lucky draw in August 2024 from among 3,262 qualified applicants. Of them, around 1,900 have already travelled to Israel.

The remaining 1,153 applicants were excluded from the draw and had been waiting for another opportunity to participate in a new selection process.

The ministry said the recruitment was based on a notice published by the Department of Foreign Employment on June 25, 2024.

According to the ministry, repeated requests and discussions had been held seeking deployment opportunities for the 1,153 candidates who missed out in the lottery. Diplomatic efforts had also been initiated through the Israeli Embassy in Kathmandu.

However, the ministry said information received from the Israeli side indicated that it was currently not possible to proceed by including the lottery-out candidates in the existing deployment process.

Israeli authorities have instead informed Nepal that the excluded candidates may participate again in future recruitment rounds.

The ministry said the Department of Foreign Employment would soon publish a new recruitment notice and urged eligible candidates excluded from the earlier draw to apply again.

It said applicants should participate in the new process in line with the existing labour agreement, Israel’s recruitment system and prevailing circumstances.

However, excluded candidates said priority should be given to those who had already qualified in the previous round.

After Israel sought to recruit another 2,300 Nepali caregivers for long-term care facilities, the department said it is preparing to issue a new recruitment notice.

The Israel Population and Immigration Authority in Jerusalem had sent the new quota in February. However, the recruitment process was delayed due to Nepal’s parliamentary elections and tensions in West Asia.

Under the labour agreement between Nepal and Israel, a public notice for worker selection must be issued within 40 days of receiving the demand letter from the Israeli authority.

The department said the ministry had already instructed it to move ahead with the recruitment process.

The ministry also addressed concerns raised by candidates waiting to travel to South Korea under the Employment Permit System after passing the Korean language test.

It said repeated requests were made seeking roster expansion, roster changes and extensions to waiting periods, prompting diplomatic discussions with the South Korean government.

However, the ministry said the process would move forward strictly according to the labour agreement between Nepal and South Korea and the existing Employment Permit System, adding that there was no need for further pressure or demands on the issue.

The ministry urged all candidates and stakeholders to cooperate and show understanding.