"Plan to recruit Nepal nurses for NHS puts them ‘at risk of exploitation’", 25 September 2022

Plans to recruit nurses from Nepal to help plug shortages in the NHS will expose workers to an “unacceptable risk” of exploitation and should be halted until safeguards are in place, labour experts have warned. The UK has been accused of pressing ahead with a hiring spree despite concerns about abusive practices by Nepali recruitment agencies, which are notorious for charging illegal fees that leave workers saddled with debt.

The government-to-government deal, signed last month despite Nepal’s status on the World Health Organization’s recruitment “red list”, will begin with an initial pilot involving about 100 recruits but could see thousands of nurses and other healthcare workers move to the UK from Nepal over the next few years.

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In May, a study by the Nepal-based research institute Social Science Baha found that about 40% of Nepalis who are interested in foreign employment seek the help of illegal agents.