Kathamandu, Mar. 22
Recent estimates from
the national and international agencies have reckoned that about 4.5 million
Nepalis are working abroad. In the last Fiscal Year 2023/24, they sent
remittances worth Rs. 1445.32 billion.
This amount was more
than the government spent from treasury – including the recurrent and capital
expenditure and financing management – which, as reported by the Financial
Comptroller General Office, stood at Rs. 1409 billion.
Just to put that in
context, this is about Rs. 148 billion less than the country's total imports
from the formal channel that year, and almost Rs. 5 billion more than the total
trade deficit. Nepal imported goods worth Rs. 1592.98 billion and exported worth
of Rs. 152.38 billion, according to the statistics of the Department of Customs.
Likewise, if the
remittance data is compared with the national budget, it’s more than the total
revenue estimates for the last fiscal. The government targeted to raise revenue
of Rs. 1422.54 billion. But actual collection was Rs. 1030.5 billion.
This illustration
demonstrates the contribution of Nepali migrant workers spread across the globe
to the national economy. Nepal is at the 19th position on the basis
of amount received while it stands fourth as per remittance to Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) ratio.
Although tourism
received high attention in national policies and programmes and economic
dialogues in Nepal, total income made from tourism activities is not sufficient
to cover Nepali's foreign education investment and trips made for recreation.
This makes remittance a backbone of Nepali economy which has so far been
reliable.
But labour migrants's
contribution is yet to be taken seriously. Foreign employment is the sector
where high corruption persists and illegal activities flourish right in front
of the authorities. Nepali migrant workers have been continuously deceived by the
manpower agencies and middlemen at multiple stages.
Service to facilitate
Nepalis
While the state has been
extending its arms to the migrant workers abroad only for rescuing and legal
assistance, for the last four years, it is reaching out to them with additional
services of providing passports and labour approvals at their locations.
The Department of
Passport (DoP) has launched the mobile passport camps in various cities across
the globe where the number of Nepalis is high. The Department of Foreign
Employment (DoFE) has also been extending its services for labour approvals and
other labour related activities to the destination cities.
The DoP is organising
such camps since 2021/22.
Such camps are organised
in collaboration with the Embassy of Nepal in the respective countries, DoP and
DoFE. Director General of the DoP, Tirtha Raj Aryal, said that it was the job
of the embassy to make the assessment of the situation and coordinate with the
respective departments in Nepal and manage the mobile camps in the cities of
their jurisdiction.
Although it's a
service-oriented programme, the country receives economic benefits as well. For
example, while organising a mobile passport camp in Portugal, less than a
million rupees were spent but from the same camp, revenue of Rs. 90 million was
raised.
A 10-day camp could be
organised with about Rs. 500,000 even in the European cities. Considering the
number of people it could serve, this cost is nominal.
"This is a win-win
situation for both the country and its citizens abroad. Had there not been a
mobile passport camp, Nepalis in Portugal were required to come to the Nepali
Embassy in Paris of France which would demand more time and expenses,"
said Aryal while stressing that it's not a programme to raise revenue but to
extend service.
Likewise, Director of
the DoFE, Updnera Raj Poudel, said that the camps' organisation is not only to
facilitate Nepali citizens but also recognizing their contribution to the
country and economy.
As much as 4,100
individuals have availed the service from a single mobile camp. According to
the general rules and understandings, there needs to be at least 1000
enrolments for passports which is a business for 10 days for a mobile service
team.
The team has to provide
passports to at least 100 people.
Two additional staff are
sufficient to manage such camps. However, understaffing at the embassies even
in the countries where the number of Nepalis is high, creates challenges for
the smooth service delivery.
Priority to mobile
camps
The DoP has accorded
priority to organising such camps this year. So far, 12 camps have been held
while additional 39 are in the pipeline. The department has written to the
Ministry of Finance for the budget required to manage the mobile camps.
Such camps are helpful
in delivering prompt service related to passport as the Nepali embassies in the
countries with high Nepali diaspora are struggling to provide the facility.
For example, the Embassy
of Nepal in Abu Dhabi in the UAE issued 46,000 passports last year while it has
already issued more than 30,000 passports in the first six months of this
Fiscal Year 2024/25.
Such achievement was
possible due to the organisation of mobile camps. The Non-Resident Nepali
Association (NRNA) and Nepalese Society in the UAE are supporting the embassy
in the drive.
On 22 February, the
mission organised a mobile labour awareness, passport and consular camp in
Fujairah which is 300 km away from Abu Dhabi. The camp renewed the passports of
216 Nepali citizens in and around the city while 300 people were sensitised on
the labour laws of Nepal and the UAE.
About 600,000 Nepalis
are currently working in the UAE.
Similarly, Embassy of
Nepal in Ottawa, Canada organised two-day mobile consular camp in Surrey of
British Columbia on 15-16 February.
The camp conducted with
the support from the Hindu Buddhist Foundation of Canada, Nepal Cultural
Society of British Columbia, and the NRNA benefitted Nepali nationals, particularly
students in British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta provinces of
Canada. They received passport renewal and other consular services, the embassy
had informed in a statement.
DoFE launches
labour regularisation abroad
Meanwhile, the foreign labour regularisation
permit was launched recently on 31 January this year by the Nepali Embassy in
Muscat of Oman.
This first-ever foreign labour regularisation
permit was organised in Salalah from 31 January to 1 February. The event also
featured direct dialogue with the ambassador, interaction, worker awareness,
financial literacy, affiliation with the Social Security Fund, and
passport/consular services.
Nepali Ambassador to Oman, Dor Nath Aryal,
expressed confidence that the labour regularisation permit service would
provide convenience to the Nepali migrant workers in Oman.
According to a statement issued by the
embassy then, Nepali workers in Salalah expressed their happiness over the
services like passport renewal, labour regularisation permits, and various
information services in Salalah, which is about 1100 kilometres away from
Muscat.
In FY 2023/24, about
714,297 Nepalis obtained approval to work in foreign land which included 80,172
women and 661,125 men. Of this, only 732 are high-skilled 2,772 are
professionals and 60,123 are semi-skilled.
The largest portion of
migrant workers (532,123) obtaining first time or renewed labour approval for
foreign countries are skilled, according to the statistics of the DoFE. A total
of 145,547 are unskilled.
GCC remains top
destination
Until some years ago,
distribution of Nepali migrant workers was highly concentrated to the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries and India. However, the number of
Nepalis is steadily growing in the United States of America, Japan, South
Korea, Australia, the United Kingdom, Romania and many other European
countries.
According to Nepal
Labour Migration Report, 2022, the highest number of new and renewed labour
approvals were issued for Qatar, the United Aram Emirates, Saudi Arabia,
Malaysia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Romania, Oman, Japan and Croatia.
In FY 2022/23,
remittance inflow amounted to Rs. 1220.56 billion which increased by 23.2 per
cent to touch Rs. 1445.32 billion last year. Remittance inflow, of late, has
witnessed a massive increase – it was Rs. 1007.31 billion in 2021/22.
The DoP is planning to
take the mobile camps to Romania, Poland, Malaysia and a couple of cities
including San Francisco and Texas in the USA.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 23 March 2025.
