Labour Migration for Employment: A Status Report for Nepal 2013/14

This report captures the trends in labour migration from Nepal. Although various government agencies have maintained and published data on various aspects of labour migration, this is the first time a government report brings together all the various data sources in a comprehensive overview. The report also highlights the achievements of the Government till date, remaining challenges and suggests ways forward. As such, it presents a statistical basis and a guide for policy-makers and other stakeholders concerned with addressing labour migration issues, particularly to ensure that the rights of migrants are protected.

Over the past decade, Nepal has experienced a surge in migration for employment to various destination countries. As more and more Nepali citizens depart for foreign jobs, regulators and stakeholders face new challenges in managing the migratory cycle and ensuring that the well-being and rights of all migrant workers are safeguarded. This report is an important step to help government agencies and other stakeholders work towards effective regulatory mechanisms and provision of various support services that protect and enhance migrant workers’ welfare.

The report is divided into five parts. The first and second parts presents the nature and scope of the report and describes the socio-economic and political conditions that have influenced the patterns of labour migration throughout Nepal’s history. The third part describes the various laws, policies and structural mechanisms that govern labour migration for foreign employment. The fourth part presents the sex-disaggregated statistical trends as regards out-migration from Nepal for the past six fiscal years (2008/09–2013/14), including information about the geographical origins, destination countries, skills levels, grievances, number of death, remittances etc. The final part of the report highlights the recent structural changes the Government has made to improve the foreign migration process; highlights continuing challenges and provides recommendations to strengthen the system for ensuring decent work for migrant workers and the protection of their rights and well-being.

The report is the first in what is anticipated to be a series of yearly migration status reports to be launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment of Nepal.