Nepali youths working in countries like Qatar and Malaysia are badly needed in the post-earthquake rebuilding efforts. These workers sent their hard-earned money to support families, others returned home soon after hearing tragic news of death and destruction caused by earthquakes—about 4,000 Nepali youths are estimated to have come in the immediate aftermath to assist their families to build temporary shelters. Some of them are still working under sweltering heat in the hinterlands of Sindhupalchowk, Gorkha and Rasuwa.

This, among other things, is the proof that youths are needed at home and that their potentials, if rightly exploited, can be a great impetus for rebuilding and reconstruction. In this context, the government's recent decision to allow free visa and free tickets to migrant workers aspiring to work in seven countries—Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait and Malaysia—should be taken with a pinch of salt.

No doubt, the new arrangement has something good to offer to aspirant migrant workers who often fall into the hands of deceptive manpower agencies, often charging huge sums for visa. If the new provision sees the light of the day, migrant workers will have to pay only up to Rs 17,000 for visa and ticket to the work destination. This will cover up medical test fee, insurance and the amount to be deposited at the Foreign Employment Promotion Board. It scraps the earlier ceiling of Rs 80,000 for Malaysia and Rs 70,000 for Gulf countries that they had to pay.

Indeed, this is a great relief to innocent youth who are cheated by unscrupulous recruiting agencies. The government will issue work permits only after ensuring that aspirant workers are given free air tickets and visas. An 11-member monitoring committee has been formed to ensure effective implementation of the new provision. Recruiting agencies found charging more money to migrant workers will be punished, we are told. But we are afraid this is no long-term solution to address the increasing trend of immigration, that has become a part and parcel of Nepali society for over two decades.

The number of Nepalis leaving the country for foreign employment is alarmingly high. The Department of Foreign Affairs data shows more than 3,500,000 Nepalis have taken work permit to date and that between 1,500 to 1,700 Nepalis leave the country every day. Now that their houses are in utter ruins and they have an added responsibility of building back, rural youths will seek to fly abroad with no employment opportunities at home. Contribution of migrant workers in sustaining our economy need not be emphasized. In 2014, remittance contributed around 30 percent of GDP. But their departure from the country has left a deep chasm in socioeconomic front. Nepal's villages have no youth.

The elderly, women and children have been left behind to take care of themselves. Their absence will be felt when we start the reconstruction process. Thus we need to aim higher. The scheme to send hardworking youth abroad 'for free' could prove to be counterproductive in the long run. We need a policy to retain our precious human resource back home. Formulating and implementing sustainable reconstruction plans could potentially generate employment here at home. If we can engage our youth in the rebuilding process, we can reap the youth-bulge dividend in the near future.

Published on: 15 June 2015 | Republica