Gyawali asks migrant workers to use safer channel

Kathmandu, July 21

Safer migration, decent work and safe repatriation of earnings are the three non-negotiable and uncompromisable principles adopted by the government in foreign employment, Minister for Foreign Affairs Pradeep Kumar Gyawali said on Sunday.

"As our economy is not producing enough opportunities for youth to engage in employment, they are leaving home in search of jobs in foreign countries. Therefore, the government is highly concerned about the process and safety in foreign employment," he said while speaking at a talk on 'Nepal's Foreign Policy: Labour, society and culture in the economy' organised by Prabhas Chautari Nepal.

Only about 50,000 youth get jobs from 450,000 labour force that enters to the market every year.

Minister Gyawali said that the declining number of migrant workers from Nepal indicated that they were going for quality labour markets.

He urged one all to use safer channels and processes while going to foreign land as migrant workers.

"The government has implemented a provision to attest the demand letter from the embassy stationed in the concerned country to make sure that Nepali workers are not being cheated," he said.

The Foreign Minister presented indigenous culture, diversity, Buddhism, smiling people, Nepali diaspora and social inclusion as Nepal's soft power which could be promoted in the international diplomacy.

"Nepali people kept smiling even during the disasters like 2015 earthquake. We are hospitable people," he said.

Presenting a paper on international migration and remittance at the programme, Research Director of the South Asia Watch on Trade Economics and Environment (SAWTEE) Paras Kandel said that the government statistics about the migrant workers needed to be revisited.

"The central bank data tells that about 56 per cent households receive remittance from abroad. But according to the National Labour Force Survey, they are the households receiving any remittance, whether from within Nepal or abroad," he said. "The percentage of households that receive remittances from any person abroad is about 30 per cent and the percentage that receives remittances from absentee members abroad is 24.7 percent."

He suggested providing sufficient information about the foreign employment saving bonds to the workers and their families in order to increase the subscription. In the past six years, the government was able to sell such bonds of only about Rs. 210 million.

Economist Keshav Acharya said that remittance had become the backbone of our economy and supported the country to make significant improvements in social sectors like maternal and child mortality and education even during the conflict period.

He suggested utilising foreign-returnee workers' skills through cooperatives and facilitating them with required funds and technology.

Similarly, Writer and Culture Expert Tulasi Diwas said that the tradition approach to look at the society and culture should be changed. "Culture a dynamic concept. It is not unproductive sector but can create jobs and economic opportunities," he said.

Consulting Editor of the Gorkhapatra Corporation Gopal Khanal said that Nepal had made a major policy departure in foreign affairs. "We are being heard and seen in the international arena," he said.

According to him, the government has maintained balanced international relations while promoting the national interest.

"Investment has become the top agenda in international meetings, seminars and bilateral engagements. PM has never talked about politics but economy and development," he said.

Foreign Affairs Expert Nishchal Nath Pandey asked the government to take note that many countries had shifted their visa service to New Delhi. He also suggested reorienting government focus to labour destinations like Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia rather than the United Kingdom, United States of America and Australia where students go and stay there forever.

Education Expert Dr. Pramod Dhakal recommended to find the major drivers of attraction for youth in the foreign land and create such opportunities in the country.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 22 July 2019.