As Nepal has failed to become an industrial nation, the problem of unemployment and underemployment has been pervasive. Because of lack of job opportunities within the country, hundreds of thousands of Nepali youths have been going abroad in search of jobs. An estimated six million Nepali migrant workers have now been working in different parts of the world. Reports show that the country issued about 3.5 million labour permits to migrant workers during the period between 2017 and 2018 alone. Malaysia and the Gulf countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait have been major destinations for Nepali migrant workers. South Korea, Japan, Canada, the United States of America, some European countries, among others, are other destinations for them. Remittances have been contributing to increasing incomes of households and the nation as a whole. In the previous fiscal year alone, the country received remittances worth Rs. 699 billion. The amount accounts for more than one-quarter of the gross domestic product (GDP). This is the fourth-highest proportion in the world. Thus, their contribution to the national economy is significant.

Most of Nepali migrant workers are male like in other South Asian nations. However, males seeking migration permits dropped by 5.83 percentage points in 2016/17 while women’s participation shot up by 8.8 percentage points. This is partly because of the growing participation of women in formal economic sector in the country. Female participation might be higher than this with many women looking for domestic work in the Gulf countries. Nepal does not allow women below the age of 24 years to work as housemaid as they are at higher risks of exploitation and abuse. Figures show that, between 2015 and 2017, some 4,832 undocumented female migrant workers applied for formal permits. Studies of recruitment processes and working conditions for low-skilled migrants show indicators of abuse commonly associated with exploitation such as forced labour and trafficking. It is sad to note here that many Nepali migrant workers have been facing a myriad of problems such as swindling during the process of going abroad as well as violation of their rights in the destination countries.

Against this backdrop, Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun said that the violation of rights of Nepali migrant workers abroad was never acceptable. While speaking at the inaugural session of a three-day international conference on Protection of Rights of Migrant Workers that kicked off in Kathmandu the other day, Vice-President Pun called on the receiving countries to treat their citizens and migrant workers equally. He also asked such countries to come up with more effective policies in order to protect the rights of the migrant workers. As emphasised by the Vice-President, the governments, human rights agencies, civil societies and the media must work hand in hand to ensure the rights of the migrant workers. It is a matter of worry that a total of 821 Nepali migrant workers lost their lives and more than 1,000 workers were injured or maimed during the Fiscal Year 2018/19 alone. Some others were sentenced to death or life imprisonment in the foreign land. The authorities concerned must pay due attention towards ensuring free movement of migrant workers and dealing with their other pertinent issues.

 Published on: 14 November 2019 | The Rising Nepal