Rama Subedi

March 3: There are more Nepalis in Ukraine than it was anticipated before. It was said that there are around 230 to 240 Nepalis in Ukraine. However, Non Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) believes that there could be around 1000 Nepalis in Ukraine.

A total of 192 Nepalis had gone to Ukraine after taking labour permits. Thirty eight Nepalis are living in Ukraine permanently. There are also some Nepali students in Ukraine. It has been learnt that a large number of undocumented Nepalis are also residing in Ukraine.

According to NRNA, 402 Nepalis have already fled Ukraine to the neighbouring Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Poland and Moldova.

A high-level committee formed under the coordination of Nepal’s embassy in Germany to rescue Nepalis affected by the Russia-Ukraine war said most of the rescued Nepalis are currently in Poland.

Nepal’s acting ambassador to Russia, Sushil Ghimire, informed that all the Nepalis living in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv have already left the country.

Labour expert Som Luitel believes that a lot of Nepali citizens might have been hiding in Ukraine in order to enter other European countries. Those who have documents have come forward openly but those lacking documents might still be hiding out of fear of exposure, says the expert. “Irrespective of their legal status, the government needs to help them.”

NRNA has been helping the Nepalis who have fled to European countries from Ukraine. The national associations of NRNA have made temporary arrangements for food and accommodation for the Nepali citizens who have become the victims of conflict . Luitel says that the government must immediately take initiative to arrange food and accommodation of Nepalis as well as their evacuation from the war-affected areas.

He further says that the Government of Nepal must coordinate with European countries that share border with Ukraine to help prepare travel documents for the undocumented Nepalis and make arrangements for their temporary stay in those countries. He suggests the government to prepare its rescue plan according to the priority and needs of the Nepalis who have become the latest victims of Russia-Ukraine war.

First of all, the government needs to prepare the list of Nepalis – both documented and undocumented – living in Ukraine at present, says Luitel.