By Mukunda Gaire, Kathmandu, Dec. 29: Foreign employment has still remained in limbo as the verification of demand letter from foreign countries has remained halted and as the risk of COVID-19 infection has been on the rise lately.

Even though international regular flights are operated smoothly in the destination country of employment but the foreign employment is still in a doubtful state.

According to the foreign employment entrepreneurs, Nepalese have not been able to go abroad as the demand letters have not been verified.

Apart from Qatar, the demand letter from the other Gulf countries has not been verified yet.

Meanwhile, some Gulf countries and other countries have suspended international air and land routes, citing the risk of SARS-CoV-2, adding to the confusion over employment.

According to Meghnath Bhurtel, secretary of the Foreign Employment Entrepreneurs'' Association, the rule of 14 days quarantine for workers going to Qatar at their own expense has made it difficult to send workers to Qatar for employment.

Regarding the demand letter verification, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Labor have been requested to open the demand letter verification, but as the demand letter has not been verified, so there is a risk of obviating the demand of Nepali workers turning it into demand for workers from other countries including India.

He said that the process of sending new Nepali workers to Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and UAE for employment has been in standstill.

It is being difficult to get the demand letter from the European countries as lots of countries are in second wave of SARS-CoV-2, informed entrepreneurs involved in sending people to foreign countries.

In some European countries, there has been a resurgence of COVID-19 infection, leading to confusion for foreign employment.

Despite the government's decision to provide labor permits for workers going for foreign employment, the Nepali embassy abroad has not verified the workers' demand letter yet.

However, the embassies abroad say that there is still a risk of the COVID-19 infection in the destination country of Nepali migrant workers and for this the demand letter has not been verified in a hurry