Kathmandu, June 20
Foreign Minister Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba has
stated that the government is making every possible effort to ensure the safety
and rescue of Nepali citizens residing in Israel and Iran, in light of the
evolving situation in these countries.
The government is prepared to repatriate
those who wish to return to Nepal, she said according to a statement issued by
her secretariat on Friday.
Speaking at a joint meeting held today at
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) with the Ministries of Labour,
Employment and Social Security, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation,
and Ministry of Home Affairs, FM Dr. Rana discussed the current situation
arising from the ongoing war between Israel and Iran and preparations related
to it.
She informed that, under the coordination
of the MoFA, the Nepali Embassy in Israel is actively working, and it has
opened a registration process for Nepalis wishing to return home. The
government is preparing the necessary arrangements for their rescue if they
choose to return.
“If any Nepali, who is currently in Israel
under the Government-to-Government programme, wants to return home or move to a
safer location, it is also Israel’s responsibility to facilitate this. The
Israeli government has already been requested to assist in transferring Nepalis
to other countries via border areas, if necessary," said Dr. Rana.
She also updated that the government
remains prepared to rescue those who wish to return.
Speaking at the meeting, Labour Minister
Sharad Singh Bhandari said that his ministry is in continuous contact with the
Nepalis there and emphasised that the government must be ready to carry out
rescue operations for those wishing to return home.
He also informed that labour permits for
those who were in the final stage of preparation to travel to Israel have been
temporarily suspended.
On June 13, the day the war between Israel
and Iran broke, the MoFA had issued a statement urging both sides to exercise
maximum restraint and resolve their issues through dialogue, while also
requesting Nepalis in those countries to remain in contact with the respective
Nepali embassies.
Subsequently, on June 15, a travel advisory
was issued, urging Nepalis to exercise maximum caution from a security
perspective. The MoFA issued a second travel advisory on Wednesday, once again
urging Nepali citizens in Israel and Iran to exercise maximum caution and
requesting people not to travel to Israel or any Middle Eastern countries from
Nepal at this time.
In view of the closure of air routes, the Ministry
has directed all Nepali missions in the Gulf to facilitate the process of
obtaining online visas for Nepalis wishing to move to safer places or
neighbouring countries.
Likewise, the ministry has opened an online
portal to collect the details of Nepali citizens, and so far, over 600
individuals have registered on the portal, with registrations still ongoing,
read the statement.
Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Dr.
Rana met with Shmulik Arie Bass, the Ambassador of Israel to Nepal, and
requested the Israeli government to make proper arrangements for the safety of
Nepali citizens.
Similarly, the Nepali Embassy in Israel and
the Embassy in Qatar (which oversees Iran) have been instructed to maintain
close contact with the relevant authorities, organisations, and Nepali
communities in these countries, and to provide real-time reporting to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Currently, there are 5,500 to 7,000 Nepalis
in Israel, mostly in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa. In Iran, there are 18
Nepalis.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 21 June 2025.
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