More than 100,000 migrant workers have rejoined foreign jobs in the last six months.According to the Department of Foreign Employment, 112,550 Nepalis including 2,468 women rejoined foreign jobs after the government started registering such workers.

The five major destinations for returnee migrant workers hired 91.82 per cent Nepalis with the highest number of 39,549 migrant workers in Qatar. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait hired 24,780, 6,466 and 2,341 Nepalis respectively. Malaysia hired 30,078 Nepalis in the last six months of this year.

The department’s data shows the highest number of returnee migrant workers registered in the first month after the introduction of the registration process. Mangsir (mid-Novem

Department of Foreign Employment, 112,550 Nepalis including 2,468 women rejoined foreign jobs after the government started registering such workers.

The five major destinations for returnee migrant workers hired 91.82 per cent Nepalis with the highest number of 39,549 migrant workers in Qatar. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait hired 24,780, 6,466 and 2,341 Nepalis re 2,341 Nepalis respectively. Malaysia hired 30,078 Nepalis in the last six months of this year.

The department's data shows the highest number of returnee migrant workers registered in the first month after the introduction of the registration process. Mangsir (mid-Novem ber to mid-December) recorded 20,930 migrant workers rejoining jobs in major job markets while Poush and Magh witnessed a marginal fall to 18,131 and 16,046 respectively. Registration of the reentry to foreign jobs jumped in Falgun and Chaitra. According to the department, about 18,638 Nepalis joined foreign jobs in Falgun and 20,889 in Chaitra. A further fall was noticed in Baisakh when 17,906 returnee migrant workers left the coun try. However, the reentry of women migrant workers to for eign job markets showed a gradual growth in the last six months. About 370 women had reentered foreign jobs in Mangsir but the number reached 513 in Baisakh. Only Poush recorded a fall with 273 Nepali women going abroad.

Other job markets that Nepali returnee migrant workers are attracted to are Bahrain, Oman, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Afghanistan and Lebanon. Among the destinations, Israel and Lebanon are lucrative destinations for women migrant workers. The department started registering returnee migrant workers in mid-November.

However, it has not started recording returnees at Tribhuwan International Airport.

Published on: 9 June 2012 | The Himalayan Times