KATHMANDU: The Department of Foreign Employment has intensified efforts to recover, organize, and digitize thousands of fraud case and investigation files that had remained unmanaged for nearly 25 years.

The department said the initiative is being carried out under the leadership of Director General Meera Acharya following directives from Minister for Youth, Labour and Employment Ramji Yadav, who has prioritized improving case management and investigation systems.

Foreign employment-related services were initially handled by the Department of Labour after the Foreign Employment Act came into force in 1985.

As complaints from migrant workers increased, the Department of Labour and Employment Promotion began formally registering grievances in 1999.

Since the establishment of the Department of Foreign Employment in 2007, all administrative and legal matters related to foreign employment have been managed by the department.

With the growing number of foreign employment fraud cases over the years, officials said it became increasingly important to systematically organize old records and investigation files. Acting on the minister’s instructions, the department launched a special campaign to recover files that had been left unattended and stored without proper documentation.

According to the department, important case files dating back to 2000 have already been recovered. Thousands of records that remained disorganized for years have now been physically archived and arranged in chronological order.

The department is now rapidly scanning the files and creating digital copies. It is also preparing to introduce a digital tracking system that will help speed up investigations, improve transparency, and strengthen case management.

Officials said all available case and investigation records from 2000 onward will eventually be integrated into a digital database linked with the judicial execution process.

The department expects the initiative to ensure faster, more transparent, and more effective services for victims of foreign employment fraud seeking justice.