KATHMANDU, July 27: The youth from eight districts have been prominent in going abroad for employment, with many coming from Madhesh Province. According to the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), as many as 749,297 Nepalis left the country for foreign employment in the fiscal year 2023/2024. Among them, youth from Dhanusha set the highest record.

After Dhanusha, the leading districts in foreign employment are Jhapa, Morang, Siraha, Mahottari, Sunsari, Rupandehi, and Sarlahi. Dhanusha also led in foreign employment last year. Despite the overall increase in people going abroad for work, other districts consistently lag behind Dhanusha. Labor experts note that the high density of youth in the Terai contributes to the higher numbers seeking foreign employment. Additionally, the presence of many unemployed youths creates a strong need for job opportunities.

Labor expert Ganesh Gurung mentioned that the ease of language in destination countries, such as Malaysia and Gulf countries where Hindi is second most spoken language, has drawn the youth from the Terai. “The language similarities in Gulf countries have attracted the youth of Madhesh Province. Additionally, the hot climate in these countries has also been a factor in attracting Madheshi youth,” Gurung said.

In the past, Haryana and Punjab in India were popular foreign employment destinations for the youth of Madhesh. However, since the government implemented the policy in 2000 to issue passports through the District Administration Office, eliminating the need to go to the Kathmandu-based Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the process has become easier for the youth.

“As youth receive better facilities and opportunities in Malaysia and Gulf countries compared to Haryana and Punjab in India, they have started moving to these countries,” Gurung said. “People in the hilly regions are leaving their land barren out of ignorance. This is wrong. Now this trend has shifted to the Terai as well. In the Terai, land is also being left fallow. There is a lot of arable land, but there is a lack of manpower.”

According to Gurung, in the past, one person would own a lot of land in the Terai, but now that land is being divided among different generations and becoming fragmented. People from the hills are buying and selling land in the Terai, thinking it is cheap. As a result, agriculture in Terai has decreased compared to the past. “After everyone goes for foreign employment, who will work the land?” Gurung questioned. “The interest of people in the Terai in agriculture has also decreased.”

The Terai residents work hard and with interest, but as they don’t receive commensurate rewards, they are seeking foreign employment. “Agricultural production has been diminishing,” he said. “Climate change is also a contributing factor. Due to market manipulation by middlemen and market mafias, the interest of Terai people has waned. Youth are migrating for foreign employment, believing that it offers better prospects than farming.”

According to Gurung, in the past, people from Gulmi, Arghakhanchi, Myagdi, Kaski, and Lamjung used to go for foreign employment, but this trend has changed. They now migrate to Kathmandu, and from there, they move to Australia, the USA, and European countries to settle.

According to Rajendra Bhandari, chairman of the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA), among the youth leaving Nepal for foreign employment, there are many skilled individuals from Madhesh. “The youth from Madhesh Province are very hardworking,” he said. “However, due to the lack of good earnings in the Terai compared to their hard work, they have gone to Gulf countries. The youth from the Terai have skills, but since their skills are not appropriately valued, they have gone abroad.”

Bhandari stated that the current education system also influences youth to choose foreign employment. The primary destinations for youth from Madhesh seeking foreign employment are Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.

Lokesh Jha from Sarlahi, who has been studying in Kathmandu for eight years says that, due to poverty, many people from the Terai are compelled to go to Gulf countries. “Parents with a lot of land sell their property to send their children to study in places like India and Kathmandu,” he said. “There are no good schools or hospitals in Terai. Many families struggle with basic necessities, and they have to go to many places just to get food. This drives them to seek employment abroad.”

According to Jha, people engaged in agriculture are not getting returns compared to their investment. They have to sell their products at low prices due to the lack of a market. He himself is seeking foreign employment after failing to pass the Public Service Commission exam.

As per the DoFE, the UAE has become the primary destination country for foreign employment in recent years. According to the DoFE, 193,438 people obtained work permits for the UAE in the last fiscal year 2023/2024. After the UAE, the next destinations are Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia, Kuwait, and Bahrain.

Last year, 39,109 individuals from Dhanusha alone left the country for foreign employment. In the fiscal year 2022/2023, as many as 39,597 individuals left the country for foreign employment. The majority of them went through local agents, and most of them took loans to go abroad.

Most people who went through personal contacts have fallen victim to fraud. Due to challenges such as lack of knowledge, information, and skills, as well as fraudulent manpower agents, many youths from Madhesh have become victims. Despite the increasing number of victims, the number of people obtaining passports from Dhanusha has not decreased.

In recent years, Nepali youth are also choosing European countries as their foreign employment destinations. According to various data, many individuals obtained work permits for countries such as Croatia, Romania, Cyprus, Malta, and Portugal.

The statistics on labor approvals do not include those who went on visit visas to Dubai and later obtained labor visas or those who entered European countries through arrangements with agents without labor approvals. The number of skilled Nepalis who have reached various countries for employment is 532,123.

Similarly, in the fiscal year 2023/2024, as many as 145,547 unskilled, 60,123 semi-skilled, 2,772 professional, and 732 highly skilled individuals went for foreign employment. This data only includes Nepali youths who obtained work permits from the DoFE and went to various countries. The number of Nepalis who went abroad illegally is not included in this figure.

 
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