KATHMANDU, Dec 10: Youths are increasingly opting to go abroad due to a lack of employment opportunities within the country. Recently, more Nepalis have started obtaining labor permits for foreign employment.
The Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) reports that more people have gone abroad for foreign employment in the first four months, from Shrawan (mid-July to mid-August) to Kartik (mid-October to mid-November), of the current fiscal year. During the same month of the previous fiscal year 2023/24, only 43,000 individuals obtained labor permits, but this figure has nearly doubled during the same period of the current fiscal year.
In Kartik alone, 70,990 individuals obtained labor permits, including 62,890 men and 8,100 women. Workers went abroad in the highest numbers during Kartik in the first four months of the current fiscal year.
Around 250,000 Nepalis went abroad for foreign employment in the past four months. From Shrawan to Kartik, this number reached 241,583. In Shrawan, authorities issued 59,575 labor permits, followed by 57,493 in Bhadra (mid-August to mid-September) and 53,525 in Ashoj (mid-September to mid-October).
In the first quarter of the current fiscal year, Nepalis seeking foreign employment mostly went to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has emerged as the top destination. Saudi Arabia ranked second, followed by Qatar in third place.
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According to the DoFE's data, the UAE has consistently been the top destination for labor migration. In Kartik alone, 23,000 individuals obtained labor permits to go to the UAE. In Shrawan, 17,541 people traveled, while 18,605 went abroad in Bhadra and 17,724 in Ashoj.
To work abroad, individuals must obtain a labor permit. Officials from the DoFE explain that even those who have returned after working abroad choose to go back, as they find no opportunities to settle in the country.
According to Guru Dutta Subedi, the information officer and director of the DoFE, the data does not account for women and men who go to the UAE without obtaining a labor permit. Women traveling on visit visas through brokers also prefer the UAE. In the current context, both women and men choose the UAE.
"The UAE is a safe destination for Asian and African citizens to live and work," he said. "Its religious and cultural diversity has made the UAE known as a country of coexistence. It is this diversity that attracts them there."
The UAE is a prosperous culture, rich in natural beauty, and also a business hub of the Middle East. This is why the UAE has attracted the most Nepalis. He explained that there are many factors contributing to the high population growth rate in the UAE, the most important being its global outlook, which has led to an increasing number of foreign nationals settling in the region.
He stated that the UAE is an open country. Most youth from Nepal who go to the UAE appear satisfied. The number of tourists visiting the UAE is also rising. Nepalis can find jobs that meet their preferences in the UAE, as companies there cater to the workers' needs. He also mentioned that many Nepali workers choose the UAE as a stepping stone with the larger goal of entering Europe.
In the previous fiscal year 2023/24, 741,000 individuals obtained labor permits to work abroad from Nepal. The DoFE has updated foreign employment data since the fiscal year 1993/94, and the number of people obtaining labor permits has been increasing in the current fiscal year.
Recently, the number of Nepalis going to Europe has grown as well. The department's data shows that Nepalis have obtained labor permits to work in European countries such as Croatia, Cyprus, France, Poland, and Romania. Additionally, the department notes that the government has launched a plan to make foreign employment safe, organized, regular, and dignified, as the appeal of foreign employment among Nepali youth continues to grow.
The Ministry of Labour, Employment, and Social Security has informed Republica that it is making arrangements to send workers who wish to go for foreign employment after providing them with skills and expertise.
In the previous year’s Kartik, Dhanusha district led in the number of youth obtaining labor permits for foreign employment, with 3,553 individuals from Dhanusha securing permits and going abroad. Following Dhanusha, the districts with the highest number of Nepalis obtaining labor permits for foreign employment are Morang, Siraha, Rupandehi, Mahottari, and Sunsari.
According to the DoFE's data, about 71,000 individuals went abroad for foreign employment in the month of Kartik. Among them, 46,558 were skilled workers, 15,971 were unskilled, 7,916 were semi-skilled, 104 were highly skilled, and 441 were professional workers.
