8 July 2022, Kathmandu

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) denies the allegations made against IOM’s Migration Health Assessment Center (MHAC) in Kathmandu and confirms that the IOM MHAC is authorized to operate by the Government of Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population.

IOM Nepal operates Migration Health Assessment Centre at the request of migrant-receiving countries and in close coordination with concerned authorities, which authorized the establishment and operation of its facilities. Currently, the IOM MHAC in Nepal provides pre-migration health activities, such as migration health assessments, for individuals migrating to a number of migrant-receiving countries.

In recent months, the number of Nepali students seeking to study in Australia has increased significantly, as the Australian borders are now open following several years of closure due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions. As required by the Government of Australia, these individuals must receive a migration health assessment in order to submit their visa application; as a result, the IOM MHAC in Kathmandu is currently receiving many requests for appointments. IOM is making every effort to accommodate the heightened number of requests as swiftly as possible, including by recruiting additional staff.

The provision of migration health assessments form part of one of the longest-standing services offered by IOM provides pre-migration health activities for migrants and refugees on behalf of nearly twenty migrant-receiving countries through approximately 70 MHACs across 50 countries. Further details on this global programme are available directly on IOM’s global website: https://www.iom.int/migration-health-assessments-travel-health-assistance

Prospective migrants may find the information regarding authorized panel sites on the immigration website of the receiving country government. As the UN Migration Agency, IOM’s service fees associated with these activities are determined according to the standards recommended by migrant-receiving countries and on a strictly cost-recovery (not for profit) basis.

IOM enjoys a collaborative partnership with the Government of Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population, closely coordinating and liaising on migration health-related activities in the country. IOM’s MHAC premises are regularly monitored and assessed by experts from the Ministry of Health and Population. The Ministry’s continued approval and authorization for IOM to operate its MHACs speaks to the Government’s satisfaction with IOM’s standard of service provision and demonstrates that the Ministry has determined IOM’s work to be in accordance with best standards.

In addition to its pre-migration health activities, IOM Nepal contributes to the Government of Nepal’s efforts in migration management and enhanced migration governance through a wide range of projects aligned with IOM’s Migration Governance Framework (MiGoF), the Global Compact for Migration (GCM), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF).

For further information, please contact: Lorena Lando, IOM Nepal at Mobile: +977 9801082451/ Email: LLANDO@iom.int