Kesh B Malla and Jeevan Karki

"Upon reaching the employment destination, the workers may face a series of troubles right from the clash of expectations versus the reality."

OCT 26 - Labour migration in Nepal has been a historical phenomenon since time immemorial. Migration to neighbouring India has a longstanding history, and movement to the Gulf commenced about 20 years ago. Due to poverty, unemployment, declining natural resources and displacement by natural disasters and war (e.g., the Maoist insurgency), labour out-migration has become an increasingly significant and major livelihood strategy in Nepal. The remittances sent home by the labour migrants contribute 20 percent to the GDP. Most importantly, the money sent back reach the poorest of the poor directly. A recent Human Development Report of UNDP has also noted that remittances have played a key role in improving Nepal’s Human Development Index (HDI) even during the insurgency.

Despite being a pillar of Nepal’s economy, the migrants have to endure much humiliation and face lots of hurdles and difficulties both at home and abroad. At home, the labour migration process itself is a big headache and source of irritation, thanks to a number of fraudulent cases perpetrated by manpower agents. Potential migrants have to wait for almost a year just to fly out even after having paid the said amount, which is often very high and has been borrowed from the village landlords or moneylenders at a high rate of interest.

“I just want to fly. I would at least have the experience of flying,” a migrant worker, frustrated and fed up by the time consuming pre-departure process, said with angst. Similarly, migrant workers are not given adequate or actual pre-departure information about the nature of the job, the salary and benefits they would be receiving, the money transaction procedure and the customs, culture, law and so forth of the host country.

Upon reaching the employment destination, the workers may face a series of troubles right from the clash of expectations versus the reality. Their physical and mental health worsens due to poor living conditions, filthy prison-like camps and the pressure to repay the loan at home. Needless to mention that there is a high health and safety risk at the workplace. On the other hand, there is no or limited health facility at work; and treatment at desired hospitals at one’s own expense is very pricey, often unaffordable.

Likewise, migrant workers become “bonded labour” in most cases, as their passport is held by the employer, which is contrary to the country’s own labour legislation. If the workers are found to be involved in any kind of objectionable act, they are immediately deported to their home countries without being given a single chance to defend themselves. Moreover, some workers are paid much less than they have been promised by agents in Nepal; and they do not return home for years because they have nothing to bring back except their memories of pain, despair and tears. Women face more problems than men in the Gulf due to their illegal or unofficial out-migration, which makes it difficult for them to seek help from the Nepali authorities in times of trouble.

The heroes of the Nepali economy deserve better treatment and respect, at least in their country if not in the host countries. To make the labour migration process easier, the government should give it a re-look and make it safer and more economic. The government should also work to impart vocational training programmes so that Nepali migrant workers will no longer be treated as slaves to build monuments as Ghaith Abdul-Ahad has written in an article entitled “We need slaves to build monuments” published in The Guardian of Oct. 8, 2008.

On the international front, the Nepal government can send a good message by signing and ratifying the UN Migrant Workers Convention, which may pave the way for the protection of migrant workers’ rights abroad. The Nepal government’s recent decision to post labour attachés in four countries with heavy Nepali populations is a praiseworthy act. More such labour attachés should immediately be appointed to other countries as mentioned in the Foreign Employment Act 2064 which requires that a labour attaché be appointed in countries having more than 5,000 Nepali migrants.

Also, there is a need and opportunity for Non-Resident Nepali Associations to work together with Nepali embassies and other organizations as they have vowed at their recently held global conference in Kathmandu. It is appreciative that the Nepali media in recent times has been giving a good amount of attention to foreign employment issues. However, there is still room for I/NGOs to work on labour migration issues that may include raising awareness about foreign employment, skill development and remittance management through entrepreneurship development to ensure sustainable livelihoods for the families of rural migrants. Lastly, the government, civil society and other concerned authorities must work hand in hand to make labour migration more effective and safeguard the workers’ rights in and outside the country.

Published on: 26 December 2009 | The Kathmandu Post