The Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) states that a total of 237,686 aspirants had secured work permits for foreign jobs during the review period. Of the workers getting work permits, 223,583 were males and 14,103 females. 

 

Despite the government´s tight policy, number of workers managing to get foreign jobs through individual channels stood 22,059 during the period. 

 

During the period, a total of 16,740 workers secured re-entry permission to labor destinations they worked before returning home.

 

Malaysia maintained its position as the most popular destination, receiving 88,980 Nepali migrant workers followed by Saudi Arabia, which received a total of 40,785 Nepali youths. 

 

Similarly, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) employed 40,785 and 28,724 Nepalis during the period respectively. 

 

Malaysia, Saudi, the UAE and Qatar attracted more than 93 percent of the total number of workers leaving for the overseas job markets during the period. Month-wise status of departures in the four most popular destinations shows that only the UAE and Qatar saw rise in arrivals of Nepali workers during the month between mid-January and mid-February.

 

Data compiled by DoFE states that number of workers heading for Malaysia dropped to 10,987 during the month from 14,759 recorded earlier. Similarly, workers reaching to Saudi Arabia also dropped to 7,562 during the month from 8,288 a month earlier. 

 

However, the number of aspirants flying to the UAE and Qatar increased to 5,067 and 7,645 from 3,968 and 6,724 respectively over the month. Overall number of workers reaching to international labor destinations during the month dropped to 37,481 during the review month from 40,684 recorded a month earlier. 

 

Foreign employment agents said the number of workers heading for overseas jobs has increased even as the demand from Malaysia and Saudi Arabia has dropped. 

 

"The decision of Malaysian government to raise salary of workers from January may have impacted the demands from Malaysia during the month," said Kumud Khanal, vice-president of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) said.