The government is planning to discourage those Nepalese who aspire to go to Iraq for jobs.

According to media reports, the Ministry of Foreign Affair (MoFA) is carrying out necessary homework to issue passports that would prohibit Nepali blue-collar job seekers to fly to Iraq in search for employment.

Foreign employment agencies and Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) have also been clamouring for such arrangement in order to combat illegal migration to Iraq.

Iraq is a banned destination for Nepali migrant workers after 12 Nepali people were killed on September 1 four years back by a militant group called Ansaral-Sunnah.

Foreign employment experts also have been asking the government to trace illegal channels used to enter Iraq in order to discourage Nepali migrants from going to the country.

Various networks of human traffickers are said to be engaged in sending Nepalis to Iraq via illicit channels.

Currently, more than 200,000 Nepalis are working as labourers, drivers, guards, cleaners, cooks and domestic helpers in Iraq in spite of the government’s restriction. nepalnews.com Apr 19 09