Nepalis joining foreign jobs has witnessed 8.52 per cent fall in Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August) — not because the government created employment opportunity in the country but due to the government’s age bar on women migrant workers — as number of women migrant workers plunged in major job destinations.

According to the Department of Foreign Employment, about 45,417 Nepalis, including 12,732 reenters, migrated in search for greener pasture in the first month of the current fiscal year from 49,647 a month ago.

The government ban to below 30 years women workers to join domestic workers job in Gulf countries has pulled the migration number. Kuwait hired just 72 women workers last month while the number was 1,513 a month back. A total of 1,318 women migrated in Shrawan, which is 378 less than pervious month.

According to the department, the ban affected individual women migration to Gulf countries and dropped to 158 from 772 in Asar (mid-June to mid-July). “It is an immediate response,” director at the department Lalbabu Kawari said, adding that gradually the number will increase.

Some changes were also noticed in the hiring pattern in the first month of the current fiscal year. Malaysia topped the hiring list offering jobs to 14,449 Nepalis pushing Qatar to the third position from number one hiring destination till a month ago.

Similarly, Saudi Arabia emerged as the second in the list with 11,607 Nepalis joining the jobs in the country. Qatar hired just 10,664 Nepalis followed by the United Arab Emirates (5,538) and Kuwait (1,094). 

Saudi Arabia topped in hiring Nepali women migrant workers providing jobs to some 642 women migrant workers. Malaysia followed with 557 hiring.

However, women friendly destination Israel did not hire a single woman in the first month of the current fiscal year.

South Korea hired some 222 Nepalis, including eight women, under Employment Permit System (EPS). Bahrain, Oman and Macau hired 220, 203 and 27 Nepali workers, respectively.

According to the department, Nepali workers hiring through individual contact decreased significantly. Similarly, only 2,280 among 32,685 new workers joined foreign jobs through individual contact.

Among 108 countries opened for foreign jobs for Nepalis, only 23 countries hired Nepali migrant workers in Shrawan.

Published on: 24 August 2012 | The Himalayan Times