Thursday, August 11, 2016

Migration of Nepalese Youth for Foreign Employment

August 10, 2016 :

The number of Nepali migrants leaving for jobs to foreign labour destinations dropped in the last fiscal year 2014-15, after a continuous rise in the previous five fiscal years. The decline is attributed to the impact of the devastating earthquakes in April and May and the ongoing row regarding the free visa and ticket provision.A total of 527,814 individuals had left the country for jobs in the fiscal year 2013-14. The number of workers opting for foreign employment dropped this year after the earthquakes as they had to stay back at home for reconstruction works. “This figure came down further after July 6, as manpower agencies started an indefinite strike against the free visa and ticket rule,” an official at DoFE said. The free visa and ticket provision implemented for seven major destinations — Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman — requires employers of the respective countries to bear the cost of visa and air ticket for hiring workers from Nepal. This heavily reduces the financial burden on outbound workers. However, manpower agencies are in protest citing that the provision needs further homework and consultations with labour receiving countries.