A fresh data released by Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) shows that a total of 102,417 Nepali jobseekers flew to overseas job destinations during the first four months 2010/11, up from 76,196 recorded during the same period a year earlier.[break]
Malaysia -- the most popular destination for Nepali jobseekers -- received 42,454 Nepalis during the period, up from 20,619 recorded during same period in the last fiscal year.
Similarly, Qatar became the second most popular destination hosting during the period, welcoming 22,642 Nepalis. The number of Nepali workers leaving for Qatar during the same period last year was 16,994.
A total of 12,593 workers left for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the period, up from 10,357 recorded during the same period a year earlier. However, departures to Saudi Arabia - the largest destination for Nepali overseas workers - dropped to 18,019, down from 19,676 recorded during the same period last year.
A total of 23,809 workers, including 508 female, left for international labor destinations in the fourth month of (mid-October to mid-November) 2010/11. Of them, 9,215 workers left for Malaysia, while 6,470 left for Qatar. Similarly, Saudi Arabia and UAE received 2,870 and 3,441 workers respectively.
A total of 23,548 workers had left for overseas job destinations in the third month (mid-September to mid-October).
Kumud Khanal, general secretary of Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA), said the number of overseas workers increased in the fourth month as many workers made their plan to leave the country after celebrating the Dashain and Tihar festivals.
“This is just a seasonal boom, not an actual increment,” Khanal argued. He also attributed the growth to improvement of recipient economies after the financial crisis.
“Malaysia is becoming a popular destination among Nepalis because of comparatively favorable working environment as compared to other countries,” Khanal said, adding: “The appreciating of Malalysian Ringgit is also drawing more Nepalis to Malaysia.”
Related story
Child labor situation in Nepal: challenges and ways forward
