SC asks govt to bring back migrant Nepalis stranded in foreign lands

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Kathmandu, April 16

The Supreme Court immediately issued an interim order to the federal government asking it to care for the well being wants of Nepali migrant staff residing in overseas international locations and to repatriate susceptible Nepali staff from overseas international locations to Nepal.

A single bench of Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla issued the order in response to a writ petition filed by Advocate Som Prasad Luitel and others towards the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and others in search of reduction for Nepali staff stranded in overseas international locations.

The court docket requested the federal government to hunt by way of Nepali embassies the small print of Nepali migrants affected by COVID-19 in overseas international locations and to make sure that they have been getting therapy as per World Health Organisation guidelines with none discrimination. The court docket ordered the federal government to convey again susceptible Nepali migrants from overseas international locations within the face of COVID-19 pandemic whereas making certain that bigger inhabitants was not liable to COVID-19 an infection as a result of reckless entry of migrants from overseas international locations.

The apex court docket cited provisions of Section 75 of Foreign Employment Act that stipulated that the Government of Nepal had the duty of repatriating Nepali migrants from labour vacation spot international locations with the assistance of Nepali diplomatic missions and labour attaches within the occasion of a pandemic, warfare or pure catastrophe.

The apex court docket additionally noticed that as per Section 33 (b) of the Act, the federal government may use Migrant Labour Workers Welfare Fund to convey again Nepali migrant labourers from overseas international locations and supply reduction to them and their households.

The SC identified that the Government of Nepal couldn’t ignore the plight of Nepali migrants who had been contributing significantly to the nation’s financial system however had misplaced their jobs and confronted difficulties. The apex court docket noticed that Nepali migrants residing in overseas international locations have been liable to COVID-19 an infection and those that had contracted the virus may lack entry to therapy in overseas international locations.

“The authorities can’t be a mute spectator when some international locations are pressuring it to take its nationals again. Moreover, some migrant labourers have additionally made pressing pleas for help-seeking to return house,” the apex court docket noticed in its order. It added that the federal government should do extra to guard the pursuits of Nepali migrant labourers.

Taking care of all residents’ well being, safety and different wants is the state’s obligation, the court docket noticed.

The Supreme Court added that if the federal government didn’t care for bodily and psychological well being of all Nepali residents whether or not they have been residing inside Nepal or exterior the nation, it could have an effect on not solely the well-being of the involved residents but additionally of their households.

The court docket noticed that petitioners had raised a critical query about Nepali migrant labourers’ proper to life and proper to return to Nepal with none discrimination.

Petitioner Luitel mentioned he had not sought repatriation of all migrant staff however solely those that have been susceptible within the face of COVID-19 pandemic. “There is 2 billion rupees in Migrant Workers Welfare Fund and the federal government can use that fund to repatriate susceptible staff and supply them reduction,” he added.

A model of this text seems in e-paper on April 17, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

The submit SC asks govt to convey again migrant Nepalis stranded in overseas lands appeared first on The Himalayan Times.

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