Pranab Kharel, Manish Gautam

The financial benefits of foreign employment and overseas migration may be considerable, but it is taking a rising toll on the family and social life of Nepalis. Of late, cases of divorce and marital discord among those working abroad and other forms of family breakdown have surfaced aplenty. According to Inspector Deepti Karki of the Metropolitan Police Crime Division (MPCD), a majority of cases of spouses ending up at police stations are to do with infidelity of a partner abroad.

In 2009-10, only three cases of infidelity were filed in MPCD. However, this year, there are already 12 cases, and counting, according to Karki.

Ram Ghimire (name changed), 32, who lives in New Baneswor, Kathmandu, is a testimony to the acrimonious relationship an individual working overseas has developed with family members or relatives.

Ghimire, who hails from Damak, Jhapa, had gone to Qatar four years ago ‘to support his family’. However, after returning, he came to know of his wife’s ‘infidelity,’ which eventually ended their six-year-old marriage. They have, however, not officially filed for divorce due to the social stigma attached with such cases.

Nitu Sharma (name changed) of Ilam, is another similar case. She said that her husband, after returning from Malaysia, started laying a resentful look on her and thought she might have been having an affair with another man in his absence. While Sharma denies any wrongdoing, her husband claims he knows of her her affair with a neighbour.

According to Meera Dhungana, an advocate who deals with divorce cases, extramarital affairs of spouses who have migrated abroad are behind the increasing number of cases filed for separation.

Even researchers point to a growing trend of family breakdowns due to rising migration.

“This phenomenon has a very high social cost for family members,” says Jaganath Adhikari, a researcher in migration. He adds that migration for livelihood has led to the breaking up of basic social units such as family, marriage and kinship.

Adhikari points out that when a male member of a household goes abroad in search of work, the other family members find it hard to cope with the situation—arguing that children seem to suffer psychological trauma as their parents’ relationship deteriorates.

Though no proper study has been conducted linking migration with family breakdowns in Nepal, studies conducted elsewhere reveal a serious social problem.

Studies conducted in the Philippines show that families are breaking up due to the spouse’s affair with another partner while the husband or wife is away.

According to the Department of Foreign Employment, 40,461 persons have left the country for work in foreign lands during the 11th month of the current fiscal year (mid-May to mid-June).

As of the first 11 months of the current fiscal, 310,001 Nepalis have left the country, up 18.67 percent from the 261,218 recorded in the same period last year.

According to Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), Nepal saw a remittance of Rs 181.84 billion till mid-April.

Published on: 26 June 2011 | The Kathmandu Post