The Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (Nafea) has announced to stop sending migrant workers abroad for work from Sunday. 

Nafea, an umbrella organisation of foreign employment recruiting agencies in the country, has said it is shutting down offices of recruiting agencies to protest against government decisions that, according to them, were introduced to displace them from business. 

Nafea has particularly objected to the free-visa-free-ticket scheme and nationwide raids carried out by Nepal police. 

“The strike would last till the government ensures environment for recruiting agencies to freely carry out their work,” Nafea Chairman Bimal Dhakal said in a statement. Nafea had also enforced a similar strike for nearly a month in July last year to protest against the low-cost recruitment provision.  

Last week, Nafea representatives had submitted a memorandum to Minister for Labour and Employment Deepak Bohara to protest against the raids carried out by Nepal Police. They claimed that Nepal Police was not the right authority to investigate into employment related cases. 

Minister Bohara had, however, had said he could do little to stop police from investigating cases that are related to human trafficking and fraud. 

Government officials have clarified that there won’t be any revision on the free visa and ticket scheme. 

“Nafea is shamelessly asking that the recruiting agencies should be allowed to involve in fraudulent activities and human smuggling.  The ministry will stick by the low recruitment policy,” said an official at the Ministry of Labour and Employment.