Agencies sending Nepali caregivers to Israel are bilking job aspirants

Charging thrice the govt-prescribed fee

KATHMANDU: Some outsourcing agencies sending Nepali workers to Israel are on a looting spree, charging three times more than the fee the government has prescribed.

The government has set $2,975 (Rs 238,000) as fee to be charged by an outsourcing agency from an individual wishing to go to the Jewish state for work, but some unscrupulous agents have been charging around Rs 6-8 lakhs.

An outsourcing agency, which has been sending workers to Israel for years, fears that the business will be at risk if such crooked agents continued to cheat people. “Hundreds of agents are active across the country, and they are defrauding people,” he said. “The nexus between political leaders and outsourcing agencies has made matters worse.”

“I paid Rs 6.7 lakhs to an outsourcing agency,” said Asmita Pudasaini of Hetauda. Despite paying the hefty amount, she refused to name the outsourcing agency, fearing it could ruin her chances of landing in Israel. She has even started learning Hebrew. And she is not alone. Her friends, who are taking Hebrew classes with her, too have paid Rs 6-7.5 lakhs for the job of caregiver in Israel.

As many as 18 outsourcing agencies are into the business of sending workers to Israel, but a recent listing by the government shows there are 245 agencies showing interest to do the job. The Department of Foreign Employment has been scrutinising the list, suspecting some may have submitted fake authority letters of Israeli companies.

Newly appointed Director General of DoFE Purna Chandra Bhattarai had seized all the documents from staff a few days ago. He is currently studying the files.

The National Vigilance Centre and a commission led by Ganesh Gurung had

also pointed out dozens of irregularities in the department. “Fraud in Israeli jobs cannot be checked unless the government itself takes the responsibility to send workers there. It is high time the government banned outsourcing agencies and started government-to-government dealing,” said economist Chiranjivi Nepal.

Israel is a lucrative foreign job destination for Nepali women, who, as caregivers, make around Rs 80,000 a month.
via - HT