Roshan Sedhai

Ramesh Mahat of Panchthar who returned to Nepal a few days ago is planning to go to Kuwait again. He says it is his compulsion as he found no work back home. Mahat, who went to the Gulf country through an “irregular channel” earlier, said he is following the legal processes this time around.

Like Mahat, many other Nepalis are forced to leave for the Gulf or the Middle East through various illegal means in lack of employment opportunities at home.

According to the Department of Foreign Employment, around 2,000 people at present are seeking permission to go abroad every day.

Official government data show around 2.2 million people—7.30 percent of the total population—are working in various countries. However, the actual number is said to be much higher than that. A majority of these workers are between the age of 20 and 23.

The contribution of remittance to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is said to be above 20 percent, as no exact figures are available. According to the National Migration Survey Report, Nepal received Rs 260 billion—19 percent of the GDP—in 2011.

Despite remittance being one of the major sources of the country’s income, issues related to migrant workers largely go unnoticed.

With the growth of foreign employment as a prominent industry, dishonest agents, pre-departure orientations, proper training for workers, legal hassles, the trend of going through illegal means, laws that are not women-friendly, high interest rates that individuals have to pay to money lenders and problems in bringing back home bodies of the dead are seen as major challenges facing the sector.

Many Nepali migrant workers do not take pre-departure training and orientation classes though it is mandatory in foreign employment laws.

The Foreign Employment Promotion Board says around 500 people visited the office to acquire information this year. The board’s executive director Sthaneshwor Devkota said the lack of information on the working conditions and the laws of the destination countries expose the workers to various risks.

An official at the Department of Foreign Employment Board said a large number of workers and recruiting agencies buy fake orientation and training certificates.

“Migrant workers are always in a rush. They do not follow the due processes and expose themselves to risks. People get permission from the board without proper documents by paying brokers or officials,” said one official, seeking anonymity.

More than 100 personal brokers and brokers attached with various manpower agencies are active at the DoFE.  These brokers, who have good relations with officials, are often found assisting people in acquiring fake documents.

Manisha Shrestha also just returned from Kuwait. She was literally sold by a broker for one household via the Indian route with illegal documents. The employer used to mistreat her and would not give her enough food to eat.

“I was barred from talking with other workers in the house. I used to eat inside the toilet. They used to beat me up time and again,” Shrestha, who hails from Chitwan, said. Luckily, she fled to the embassy with the help of a friend and saved herself.

A recent report of the Amnesty International (AI) claims that 30 percent of the total migrant workers are women. It is also estimated that 80 percent of undocumented workers are females. However, national records show that the number is around 10 percent.

The major question here, however, is why and how undocumented women manage to fly overseas.

If the AI report is anything to go by, legal provisions for women migrant workers are not as friendly as they are to men. Moreover, there are no legal agreements with countries where the demand for female workers is high. Nepal recently signed an agreement with four Gulf States—Kuwait, UAE, Saudi and Qatar—to send women for domestic jobs. However, those agreements have not made a big difference in the situation of the womenfolk.

The trend of using “irregular channels” bars most of the migrant women from seeking legal help when in trouble.

A study commissioned by the Ministry of Labour and Transport management and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that 40 to 50 percent of the total migrant workers went abroad through irregular channels. These workers are more likely to suffer more.

Nepal does not have embassies in many countries to help its citizens during difficult times. It has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with only five countries. The government must begin the process to sign bilateral agreements with all countries where workers fly to, irrespective of the number of the workers.

The AI report says that workers pay as high as 60 percent interest per annum for the money they borrow to go abroad. The government has to come up with encouraging and financially viable incentives to the workers.

Published on: 7 February 2012 | The Kathmandu Post