KATHMANDU, April 30: Fraud cases in foreign employment have been increasing as the number of Nepali youths migrating abroad continues to rise rapidly. In particular, incidents of fraud carried out through individual agents (brokers), rather than manpower companies, are becoming more complex and increasingly difficult to control.
According to Director of the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) Khilraj Rai, the number of victims cheated through personal channels is higher than those defrauded by institutional manpower agencies. He said that cases involving individual agents tend to be more complicated, as victims often lack evidence, transactions are done in cash, and agents frequently use fake identities and temporary contact numbers. This makes it difficult to trace the actual perpetrators, preventing many victims from even filing complaints at the DoFE.
“Victims cheated by manpower companies can at least get justice relatively faster, but it is very difficult to provide justice to those cheated by individual agents,” Rai said. “First of all, complaints from such victims cannot even be registered due to lack of evidence. They fail to get justice from the concerned authorities, and who suffers? It is the victims themselves.” He described foreign employment fraud as having taken a severe and alarming form.
He further said that in some cases, manpower companies create agents and operate in a way that conceals their own involvement, allowing them to remain safe while collecting money from youths through agents without leaving traceable evidence.
Fraud on the rise in foreign employment
According to him, compared to Gulf countries and Malaysia, a large number of Nepali youths dreaming of going to Europe are currently falling victim to fraud. Most of the fraud cases registered at the department are also related to European destinations.
He said that agents and brokers lure people by promising attractive salaries abroad and collect hundreds of thousands to even millions of rupees before disappearing. “Gulf countries are also good, but Europe is considered better. They trap people by saying that once they reach there, they can earn more money and even bring their families later,” Rai said.
In many cases, suspects flee immediately after sensing that complaints are about to be filed, which affects the investigation process. He also noted that the complaint registration system is still not fully digitized. “Most complaints are still registered manually rather than through a proper system,” he said, adding that this causes delays in data management, investigation, and justice delivery.
He also emphasized the need to decentralize the labour approval process. Currently, services are centralized in Kathmandu, forcing service seekers to travel to the capital. He suggested that labour permits should be made available from all 753 local levels. “All other services have already been decentralized, but this foreign employment sector has not,” he said. “A person from a poor family has to come to Kathmandu, which increases their expenses significantly. If fraud cases could also be handled from all 77 districts, it would make things easier for victims.”
He added that expanding services to local levels and making the complaint system fully digital and transparent could significantly help in controlling fraud in foreign employment.
Meanwhile, structural issues in foreign employment remain equally serious. Most job demands coming from abroad, particularly from Gulf countries such as Oman, are concentrated in low-paid labour sectors like cleaning and construction. He noted that issues related to workers’ rights, safety, and welfare remain inadequately addressed, making the situation more complicated.
Rai concluded that unless the foreign employment system becomes transparent, safe, and dignified, it will remain difficult to control fraud carried out through agents. He also stressed that only by increasing awareness among youths and ensuring migration through legal processes can such incidents be reduced.
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