Outflow of migrant workers slows
KATHMANDU: Nepalis joining foreign jobs significantly declined in Ashwin (mid-September to mid-October) to 26,581, according to the Department of Foreign Employment.
The month registered a fall by 29.69 per cent in Ashwin compared to a month ago, when some 37,808 Nepalis joined the foreign jobs.
The department has issued foreign job permits to 45,165 Nepalis — alltime high number — in the first month of current fiscal year. “Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August) has registered all time high migrant outflow in the migration history that started about two decades ago,” according to the department.
Less workers applied for the foreign job permit due to festivities, according to director at the department Kashi Raj Dahal. “The cause of falling migrant outflow number since Bhadra (mid-August to mid-September) is due to festivities,” he said, adding that every year during festive season the migrant outflow declines.
Despite the fall, there is no change in popular destinations last month. Qatar, which has become the first in receiving the highest number of Nepalis some six months ago, hired 8,525 Nepalis, while Saudi
Arabia enjoyed the second place hiring 5,667 workers. Similarly, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait hired some 5,222; 4,595 and 1,195 respectively.
Migration through individual contacts remained highest in Ashwin too. About 13,617 Nepalis joined overseas jobs from their own initiation while the organisations were able to send only 12,643 migrants to overseas jobs. The trend has started three months ago.
According to the department, Kuwait hired the largest number of Nepali women providing bread and butter to 629 Nepali migrant workers followed by UAE (245), Malaysia (83), Qatar (41) and Oman (29). A total of 1,188 Nepali women get foreign jobs in Ashwin.
There is no major shift in jobs market. However, New Zealand hired 17 Nepalis for the first time in last three years. Among Asian countries, Japan and Jordan hired 49 and 14 Nepalis through individual contacts.
Source: THT
