A few days ago we wrote of the plight of 500 Nepali women who are working in slave-like conditions in Syria, the war-torn country that is banned for Nepali migrants. When they left Nepal most of these women were unaware they were being taken to Syria. Instead they had been promised lucrative jobs in the UAE and Kuwait. We pointed out the need for greater awareness about the modus operandi of manpower agencies, far too many of which are these days involved in human trafficking. As a small country like Nepal with limited diplomatic clout can do little on its own, we believe it should seek help of international organizations like the UN's International Labour Organization and the International Organization for Migration to stanch the illegal migration of its citizens. These measures will help. But far too many Nepalis are leaving the country in search of employment opportunities illegally, even while they are fully aware of the risks involved. In the days ahead Nepal will have a big challenge on its hands if desperate foreign job aspirants like Kaji Bahadur Adhikari of Bara district continue to break laws abroad.Seven months ago, Adhikari travelled to the Chinese special administrative region of Macau on a 14-day tourist visa. But Adhikari had no intention of sightseeing or of spending what little money he had (Rs 250,000) gambling in one of Macau's world-famous casinos. Before the expiry of his visa, he petitioned for a work permit, but to no avail. Adhikari thus had no option but to go underground, even as he continued searching for a good job. Again, it wasn't meant to be. During his seven months in Macau Adhikari used up all his money. Without proper food to eat, he soon became sick, both his legs swollen dangerously from under-nourishment. If it weren't for the local NRN community, he would probably have died. He was able to return to his homeland alive with a little money they were able to put together. But not everyone is so lucky that they are able to return to Nepal with their life and limbs intact.
There are now awareness centers right across Nepal, established with the ostensible purpose of educating the desperate and gullible would-be migrants. But this does not seem to be helping much, as is clear from the troubling frequency of illegal migration out of Nepal. The real challenge is to get the message across to the target populations. Rather than waiting for would-be migrants to come to them, these centers would be more effective if they undertook door-to-door cmpaigns, visiting individual households to explain the dangers of choosing the wrong agents and wrong countries. Perhaps there could be documentaries, to be shown in individual VDCs, on Nepali migrant workers who find themselves in trouble abroad. The message should be clear: the risks of illegal migration are just not worth it, not for would-be migrants, and not for their families. Some will still choose to go. These isolated cases will be something that Nepal, just like other countries in South Asia, will have to live with.
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