By Laxman Kafle
Kathmandu, Jan. 22: The government of Nepal and Israel have signed a protocol to implement the agreement reached between Nepal and Israel in September last year on the temporary employment of Nepali workers in Israel’s special labour market sector.
Kumar Prasad Dahal, Director General of the Department of Foreign Employment and Hanan Goder, Ambassador of Israel to Nepal, singed the protocol on behalf of their respective governments in the presence of Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security Gaurishankar Chaudhary on Thursday.
With the signing of the protocol, Israel's exclusive labour market has opened to Nepali youth.
According to the protocol, 500 Nepalis (men and women) will get employment in Israel in the first phase.
Nepali youth will receive benefits in accordance with Israeli labour law.
This is a government-to-government agreement to send Nepali people to Israel as auxiliary workers in caregiving houses of nursing homes.
This is entirely a new MoU which outlines a transparent process of recruitment. No private sector involvement is envisioned in this process, said DG Dahal.
He expressed his commitment to stop any suspicious activities from this highest possible legal action in order not to damage this precious agreement signed by the two countries.
“First, we will have to formulate internal working procedures by specifying the application, selection and requirement process. The department has already proposed elements of such procedures with the Ministry, the procedures will be finished soon,” he said.
The Department will launch online application system so that all eligible Nepali youth can apply themselves without the help of any external person.
There are many caregivers in Israel and most Nepalis go there as caregivers. Israel is considered an attractive destination for foreign employment in terms of income, social security and employment security for workers.
‘New avenues for Nepali workers’
Speaking on the occasion, Minister Chaudhary said that the signing of the protocol has added a new dimension to the bilateral relations between Nepal and Israel.
He congratulated both sides and expressed his confidence that the signing of the agreement has opened new avenues for Nepali migrant workers to work in Israel.
He urged to provide employment opportunities to Nepali youth not only in the caregiving but also in other sectors.
Through a video conference, Dr. Anjan Shakya, Nepal's Ambassador to Israel, said that she had been trying to open the labour market for Nepalis since she arrived in Israel as an ambassador and today she achieved the success.
Mentioning that Israel is an attractive destination for foreign workers, she said that Nepalis will be able to work in Israel with dignity.
On the occasion, Israeli Ambassador to Nepal Goder said that Nepali youths would get the same services and remuneration without any discrimination as Israeli citizens.
He expressed his hope that the process to send Nepali workers to Israel would begin at the earliest by completing the required procedures.
Nepal and Israel had signed an agreement on temporary employment of Nepali workers in Israel's exclusive labour market on September 30, 2020.
In 2015, the government of Nepal and Israel had signed an agreement to recruit 300 women as caregivers. As per the agreement, only around 60 women got opportunity to go to Israel at that time.