United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Philipe Gonzales Morales has said that the government should adopt zero tolerance policy against those abusing the labours and demanding extra fees from migrant workers.

UN Special Rapporteur Morales, who arrived in Kathmandu for an eight-day visit to study Nepali government’s approach towards securing the human rights of migrant workers, expressed so during a press meet organised in the Capital on Monday.

The UN human rights official said that the government should strictly implement the provision that aims to send migrant workers on zero investment. “I saw grave difficulties in the export of migrant workers as they are forced to face up to 8 layers of official and unofficial agents and agencies,” said Morales, “They are forced to pay up to Rs 180,000 extra amount during the process.”

Likewise, Special Rapporteur Morales further said that there was lackadaisical approach on the part of authorities in the implementation and monitoring of the provision of zero investment policy for migrant workers vying to work in seven overseas nations.

“The role of manpower agency, middlemen and agents should be legally defined,” said Morales, adding that the licence of the manpower agencies charging extra fees and compromising the rights of migrants should be scrapped.