The number of Nepalis going abroad for jobs has significantly risen in the past nine months as compared to the same period last fiscal year.

According to the Department of Labour and Employment Promotion, 223,000 youths left the country for work in different countries, especially the Gulf, by mid April. Last year, 142,600 Nepalis had gone to foreign countries.

However, the month of Chaitra (mid March to mid April) saw downward trend with just 12,000 people going abroad in search of work while the number in the same period last year was 21,000.

Qatar, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and UAE were the chosen destinations for Nepali job-seekers this year, too.

Department officials say that cases of fraud have also grown as the foreign employment ‘enterprise’ continues to thrive.

The department has registered 314 complaints, almost all of them related to fraud by agents, in the past nine months.

Officials admit that many cases of fraud do not come into the sight of concerned government authorities due to the largely unregulated manpower business and lack of knowledge on the part of foreign employment seekers. nepalnews.com mk May 10 08