“Illegal Nepalis are leaving Malaysia, said Lekh-nath Bhattarai, consular at Nepali embassy in Mala-ysia. “About 3,500 Nepalis have got travel document from embassy to leave the country,” he added.

Malaysia has given October 31 deadline to leave the country but migrant in process gets extra time according to their travel documents. They will reach Nepal around mid-November because travel documents are valid for two weeks only, Bhattarai added. The destination has started legalisation of over one million migrant workers introducing biometric identification for migrant workers in May. The process has ended in October with amnesty offer.

 

Malaysian government has recorded 285,000 Nepalis in the destination in July with 33,000 illegal workers. In August, it had urged illegal migrant workers to change their status to legal within two months.

Thousands of illegal Nepalis have changed their status paying fine and joining new job. “Those who get sponsors became legal workers,” general secretary of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies Kumud Khanal said, adding that only the unfortunate ones are returning. Malaysia was the top hiring destination for last three years before Qatar toppled it four months ago.

 

According to Department of Foreign Employment, the destination has hired 672,543 Nepalis since the fiscal year 1997-98.

 

Malaysia has started to lower demand of Nepali workers' hiring gradually in the first three months of current fiscal year. About 9,671 Nepalis had entered Malaysia in Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August) but the number decreased to 5,222 in the third month - Ashwin (mid-September to mid-October). Once the most preferred foreign job destination has hired around 8,610 Nepali migrant workers in Bhadra (mid-August to mid-September).

 

However, hiring of Nepali women migrant workers has significantly increased in the period.

On an average, more than 300 Nepali migrant women job seekers entered Malaysia in the last three months. About 359 Nepali women workers have joined Malaysian job.Kuwait, UAE include Nepal

 

KATHMADNU: Gulf countries – Kuwait and United Arab emirates – have officially included Nepal in the list of 41 source countries. The list includes Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India from South Asian countries while African countries dominate the list, Kuwait Times reported on Thursday. Philippines, one of major source country for women workers for years has withdrawn from the list. According to the newspaper, Philippine has asked the host countries to include domestic workers under the protection of labour law. — HNS