PNCC took action to expand its support for Nepali workers in major destinations such as Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE by mobilizing 14 volunteers and 16 diaspora communities in each location, along with four Outreach Coordinators in Malaysia, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. This initiative aimed to provide assistance to Nepali migrant workers who were severely impacted by COVID-19. Working in collaboration with Nepali Embassies, NRNA, Nepali community groups, and local organizations, PNCC provided various types of support, including rescuing stranded workers, settling due wages, repatriating deceased workers, renewing work permits and passports, providing food and legal support, operating legal and health clinics, offering counseling services, supporting workers in jail and deportation centers, providing assistance in accident cases, and locating missing workers.
Thanks to support from the International Labour Organization, PNCC implemented the “Migrant Rights and Decent Work Project” to establish and develop a strong support mechanism for outreach activities to provide immediate help to Nepali migrant workers in the four major destinations. From October 2021 to September 2022, Saudi Arabia had the highest number of migrant workers benefiting from PNCC’s support with 3,706, followed by Malaysia with 1,228, the UAE with 939, and Qatar with 175.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, PNCC’s major functions included mobilizing volunteers, providing airport pick-up and drop-off services, offering shelter support in destinations and Nepal, assisting with documentation and linking workers with the Nepali Mission for repatriation, providing humanitarian aid such as food, medical care, local travel, and PCR test support to more than 1.2 lakh workers, and disseminating information through cell, social media, IEC materials, video tutorials, and an online case management system.
PNCC achieved several significant milestones, including mobilizing and establishing a network of volunteers for faster service, completing 20 help desk events with over 1,200 participants, operating six health camps with over 400 attendees, distributing more than 341,317 IEC materials and video tutorials, providing logistic support for seven passport renewal camps with over 1,000 participants, serving over 22,053 Nepali migrant workers with various services, developing an online case registration platform, providing air tickets to needy migrant workers from IOM, NRNA, and other organizations, facilitating government policy implementation such as labor re-acceptance and work permit renewals for over 150 laborers, conducting the “Migrant with Doctor” webinar program to raise awareness of various health issues, enhancing the capacity of 106 diaspora members in case management system and human rights aspects, promoting partnerships among civil society organizations, diplomatic missions, and other helping organizations through joint events, lobbying, and advocacy, and conducting online webinars and Facebook live programs to inform Nepali migrants about policies, government-provided services, and service receiving mechanisms. PNCC also played a special role in sending deceased workers home, rescuing stranded workers, and facilitating repatriation in collaboration with Nepal Mission.
