by Kalpit Parajuli

Lifting the ban imposed in 2004 should lift Nepal’s economy, which depends to the tune of 40 per cent on foreign remittances by Nepali workers. Days ago, US Central Command in Baghdad had called for the repatriation of 30,000 Nepali workers.

Kathmandu (AsiaNews) – The Government of Nepal decided on Tuesday to lift a six-year ban on Nepali workers going to Iraq. The decision was made after the US Central Command in Baghdad called for the repatriation of all workers illegally working on US bases, including more than 30,000 from Nepal. For Nepali authorities, the end of the ban should help the Nepali economy, which is highly dependent (40 per cent) on foreign remittances by Nepali workers.

“We lifted the ban on Nepali workers out of consideration for the present unemployment situation and we have requested American envoy to Nepal Scott H. Delisi, to reconsider the [US Central Command] decision,” Foreign Secretary Madan Kumar Bhattarai said.

The Nepali government banned emigration to Iraq after the murder of 12 Nepali workers in 2004 by Islamic extremists, which unleashed a wave of retaliatory actions against Muslims in Nepal.

However, despite the ban and the risks involved, thousands of Nepalis have left their country to go to Iraq, where they work at menial jobs in military bases, or are hired as security guards by foreign companies.

According to Nepali police, each migrant has to pay up to US$ 4,000 to human traffickers to leave the country.

Indians and Filipinos are also among the workers most sought after by foreign agencies operating in Iraq.

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