By Saidu Jalloh
The Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security has issued a stern warning to Al-Noor Traveling and Tours Agency Limited, instructing the company to cease demanding visa and air ticket fees from job applicants. According to the Ministry’s press release, these costs should be borne by the recruiting company overseas.
The Ministry has advised Al-Noor and similar travel agencies to refrain from accepting job offers from international partners that necessitate applicants to cover their own visa and air travel expenses. Instead, these financial obligations must be managed by the overseas partners of the private employment agencies.
Furthermore, the Ministry has mandated that any recruitment charges levied by agencies must be clearly communicated and detailed for approval by the Ministry.
In addition to addressing Al-Noor, the Ministry admonished all private overseas employment agencies to adhere strictly to this directive and comply with the stipulations of Section 24(b) of the Overseas Employment and Migrant Workers Act, 2023.
The Ministry also urged prospective migrant workers to only engage with licensed agencies and to seek clarifications when in doubt before proceeding with any overseas employment applications. This measure aims to protect workers from potential exploitation and ensure compliance with the legal framework governing overseas employment.
