Decline in Foreign Employment for Nepali Workers, but Independent Migration on the Rise

KATHMANDU, JANUARY 19 : The number of Nepali workers seeking foreign employment has decreased. In the month of Poush (mid-December to mid-January), only 26,719 youths obtained labor permits for foreign employment, according to the Department of Foreign Employment. In Poush of the previous year, this number was 65,813. Compared to the same period last year and the first five months of the current fiscal year, the number of labor permits issued has declined. However, the number of individuals migrating independently has increased.

The number of people going abroad through personal and other channels is rising. The data indicates that the proportion of individuals migrating independently has increased from 6% to 27% over the past five years.

According to the statistics released by the department for the past year, the number of people going for foreign employment through institutional channels has decreased by 6%. During the recent period, 1,302,914 people left the country through manpower agencies, while 205,945 individuals migrated independently.