Like it or not, foreign employment is the only burgeoning industry in Nepal today. With tourism and export-oriented industries having taken a deep plunge, thanks to the domestic situation of insecurity, remittances by hundreds of thousands of workers abroad have become the main foreign exchange earner. As the country seems unable to provide adequate job opportunities to its youths well into the foreseeable future, the growth of this sector is likely to be fueled by the urge to migrate both in search of employment as well as in order to escape the cycle of violence back home. The only thing the government could do at this point is to make necessary arrangements to regulate the sector and minimize the cases of fraud that are equally rising

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

Khim Kharel is in his late twenties. He went to Doha, the capital of the Gulf emirate of Qatar, and worked in a restaurant there for four long years before returning home this September. “I went there on the recommendation and help from my relative. Though the money that I earned there was not very high, it was much more than what I would have earned here,” said Kharel who hails from the district of Gulmi in western Nepal.

Youths : Unfulfilled dreams
Youths : Unfulfilled dreams
According to Kharel, there are thousands of Nepalese youths in Doha alone. “There are many friends from my village also. All of us live and work together and give support to each other in times of need,” he said.

Krishna Tamang, a lad from Sindhupalchowk, worked in Bahrain for two years as a driver. And now his younger brother Sambhu Tamang is in the process of going to Malaysia.

Thousands of youths like Kharel and Tamang are currently toiling hard in countries as far afield as Saudi and Malaysia, supporting the national economy. “There is no doubt it is the foreign remittance alone that is preventing the economy from total collapse,” said an economist.

The daily flights of Gulf Air that connects Abu Dhabi (UAE) with Kathmandu and the 11-flights-a-week of Qatar Airways, which connects Doha with Kathmandu, also speak a lot about the rising attraction of Gulf destinations among Nepalese workers. Most of these flights are packed with workers seeking employment there.

Everyday hundreds of lads covered in garlands and with a twinkle in their eyes queue in the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) to leave their native-land in search of jobs abroad. The crowded premises of various manpower agencies and department of labor also speak volumes on how swift this sector is growing.

This is the first time in the history of Nepal that so many of its people have been fleeing abroad for jobs. As the rural hinterlands are infested with the insurgency, an alarming number of youths have fled. Those who can afford or those who have some connections, prefer to go to the Gulf or Malaysia and those who do not, go to India.

At TIA’s departure section : With hopes for brighter future
At TIA’s departure section : With hopes for brighter future
There are two ways through which Nepalese go for overseas employment. By applying at the registered manpower agencies or on their own. After the second amendment of the Foreign Employment Act in 2054, people can now also go abroad for employment on their own personal effort.

Currently the government has recognized 16 countries as overseas employment destinations. They include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Bahrain, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Saipan, Iraq, Macau, Israel, the Maldives and Kosovo. Latvia and Seychelles are two other countries which the government recognized temporarily at times. The government has also given recognition to 290 manpower agencies for supplying laborers.

Supporting The Economy

In fact, foreign remittance has had a high effect on the Nepalese economy for many, many years. Even during the Rana regime, the practice of working as ‘Lahure’ – recruits in the British Army – was rampant. After India gained independence, the practice continued. Nepalese youths continue to be recruited in the Indian army.

Of late, Nepalese people have started flocking to Gulf countries where there is huge demand for third-country workers. Thanks to the deteriorating law-and-order situation and unavailability of jobs back home, the number of workers going abroad has risen sharply.

Apart from a few hundred thousand workers in the Gulf countries, Malaysia and other overseas destinations, there are many more Nepalese working in several parts of India. Collectively, these workers pump in billions of rupees every year to their native country. Even conservative estimates from the Labor Department, which does not include income from people working in India or those who prefer to remit their earnings through unofficial channels, put the annual remittance over Rs.14 billion. Even at their peak, the carpet and garment industries barely fetched these amounts.

The exact amount of foreign remittance received by the country is sketchy. “First of all, there is no record of how many people have gone to foreign countries for work. Because of open border and easy accessibility, it is almost impossible to keep track of people going to India for work. India, by far, is the largest market for Nepalese workers. From army recruits to gate-keepers and from restaurant-workers to porters, hundreds of thousands of Nepalese work in India,” said the economist.

According to recent figures by the Department of Labor and Employment Promotion (DoLEP), the total number of workers who have gone overseas from 2049/50 till 2059/60 (Ashwin) is 259,044. The preferred destinations include Saudi Arabia (87,298), Malaysia (75,331), Qatar (56,364), UAE (26,994), South Korea (3,172) and Kuwait (2,976). But this number includes only those who have gone to recognized overseas employment destinations through official channels. The number of people who go to these places through personal efforts or unofficial channels is much higher, agrees Lalit Bahadur Thapa, director-general of the DoLEP. The workers who go to India are also not included in this figure.

Crowd of youths at DoLEP : In the pursuit of jobs abroad
Crowd of youths at DoLEP : In the pursuit of jobs abroad
Apart from the Gulf, South East Asian countries and India, thousands of people have also migrated to Europe, Australia and North America. The people in the second category of migrants mainly belong to the well-educated section.

The exact contribution of foreign remittance to the Nepalese economy is still unclear. According to a study by David Seddon for the British government’s Department For International Development, the value of foreign remittance from migrant laborers could be as high as Rs.69 billion – which is roughly equivalent to 25 percent of official gross domestic product (GDP). But the 2000/2001 estimates by the Nepal Rastra bank (NRB) puts the figure at Rs.12.66 billion. But it does not take into account the amount of remittance that is transmitted via unofficial channels.

Although its exact contribution is nebulous, everybody agrees that it is deep and wide and has supported the national economy particularly the rural one from where most migrant laborers hail from.

Not All Rosy

One reason why Kharel decided to return to Nepal after working for four years in Doha was the constant harassment he had to undergo there. “It’s never simple. They always try to give you a raw deal whether by giving jobs other than the one mentioned in the initial contract or by giving fewer facilities. It’s all hardship for Nepalese to be working in the fierce climate,” he said.

Though foreign employment sector seems attractive due to its economic potential, there are many evils attached to it. Cases of fraud and hardships, even physical abuse, are regularly reported in the media.

According to the statistics by the department, there have been 96 deaths of Nepalese workers abroad till now – Saudi Arabia (3), Qatar (39) and Malaysia (4). Due to reports of physical and sexual abuse, the department has banned from sending women to work in the Gulf countries. Even in other countries the department bans sending women in jobs of domestic worker.

The cases of fraud by unscrupulous manpower agencies too abound. “In order to check these irregularities we have launched massive public awareness campaign and have taken action against anyone found guilty,” said Thapa. According to him, the department has lodged 145 cases in district courts including 137 that are against individual fraudsters. It has also revoked the registration of 43 manpower agencies and has black-listed 13 others.

Many others also feel that exporting our manpower is a negative thing. “Instead of creating job opportunities within the country, we are sending our manpower abroad. This will have a long term negative impact on our society and culture,” said Dr. Rishikeshab Raj Regmi, a senior sociologist.

Kabindra Rimal, central secretary of the trade union GEFONT, also says that the government needs to strictly regulate this sector. “Although it is natural in an era of globalization for labor to migrate to places where there is more capital, the state has to protect the interest of its workers. They can provide training to workers and make them aware about where to contact in case they have some problems overseas,” he said. The GEFONT has established support group for Nepalese workers in Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea. “We are also trying to set up such groups elsewhere to help Nepalese workers there,” said Rimal.

Binod Bhattarai, former member secretary of the Employment Promotion Commission (EPC), believes that the growth of foreign employment sector is positive. “I am definite that until and unless the state is able to provide job opportunities to its citizens, there is no other option. I see very bleak possibility for our country to provide enough jobs to its youths in near future, as well. In such a situation, we have to promote and encourage foreign employment sector. There are is a huge demand for foreign workers abroad, so what’s wrong in tapping that demand?”

At a time when the country is reeling from severe economic and political crises, the state’s prospect for creating job opportunities to all its citizens appears far-fetched. As such, there seems no alternative to promoting foreign employment in the immediate future.

The idea should be to regulate and make this sector more viable. Providing skills to workers and protecting their interest though its diplomatic missions abroad should be the order of the day.