Real migration stories on TikTok

TikTok has come under scrutiny for misuse as a platform for recruiting Nepalis into the Russian Army, or promoting irregular migration. 

One prevailing narrative on migration is that workers just post pictures in front of, say, Petronas or Burj Khalifa that glamorises their lives overseas which can mislead folks back in Nepal. This is further fueled by brokers who over-promise and deceive workers. 

TikTok is different. The video-based app is unparalleled in its portrayal of the reality of migrant lives. Whether it is a Qatar-based Nepali camel herder who lives in the desert, a domestic worker in Oman who shares her life with fellow domestic workers from Kenya and Philippines, or a farmhand knee deep in a water spinach field in Korea, TikTok provides a window to the daily lives of migrant workers as is. 

With live commentary covering the good and bad, the posts are filled with humour, insights and creativity. And it is in the mundane that viewers become invested and aspirants learn more about lives overseas. The platform also allows the mini-influencers to feel more connected digitally, as overseas jobs especially in domestic work and agriculture can be isolating.  

The videos are also a refreshing contrast from how migration is portrayed in movies or songs, or the mainstream media. Workers who pick up their phones and film their daily lives or thoughts, raw and unscripted, present migration in all its complexity, not with a binary lens of good or bad. 

Migration is such a human centric topic that there are conversations, encounters, talent or moments that stay with us, tug at our hearts that we want to archive, share and revisit. TikTok allows that, and perhaps that is why we at Migration Lab are so invested in the platform, even though it is time-consuming and not monetised.  

Our first TikTok post was by a Malaysia-bound poet from Jajarkot who recited a poem that he had composed on the go at the airport. A migration song that another worker from the same recruitment drive sang has been reused over 2,300 times. A returnee explaining why everyone should migrate at least once has generated a huge response, as did a father bidding farewell to his UK-bound son at the airport from his duty in Qatar.

Our stories for TikTok are just miniature versions of the Diaspora Diaries series in this newspaper. It is formatted for today’s attention span.

Indeed, retaining viewers is tough in this fast-paced platform where views really do not amount to much on their own. What TikTok rewards most, we learn, is relatability. If you can see yourself, your values or your experiences reflected in what you are watching, you are more likely to stay longer and engage more. 

But ideally, that same relatability can also serve as inspiration to encourage someone to aim higher. If a seasoned migrant’s story resonates with viewers because of shared experiences like starting their overseas stints at low-wage positions, then what they have achieved despite the odds might also feel within reach. 

Stories of migrant upward mobility, successful returnee entrepreneurs, and lessons learnt overseas can carry lessons useful for others. How can people like Yasmeen Naaz, Shanti Bhandari who drives a double-decker tourist bus in Dubai, or Raju Pakhrin who returned to Nepal to run a successful bakery, inspire more people to be bolder to reach their potential?

ETHICAL JOURNEY

TikTok is also a useful tool to help people understand what ethical recruitment is, and to promote responsible migration practices. Nepalis seeking jobs overseas often do not believe that ethical opportunities exist — they fear being scammed or left stranded abroad.

Our research with the ethical recruiter partner International Manpower Recruitment (IMR) shows that most believe that only those with privileged connections can migrate without being cheated.

But research also shows that perceptions can change, especially if there is a trusted person in the network who has been ethically recruited. If used correctly, TikTok can be a second-best alternative to personal networks by directing those seeking overseas jobs to ethical channels. 

Repetition and relatability can alleviate the mistrust migrants have towards ethical recruitment practices, and TikTok content can show migrant workers that responsible recruiters do exist. 

But there are limitations. Brokers that we encourage workers to bypass also have access to the same platform, or are in their proximity. It is also well-documented that even when workers do pay high fees, they have been made to sign documents or even make videos saying they have not paid. How not to be dismissed as just another fly-by-night is a challenge. 

Nagendra Kumar Sah was recently recruited by IMR, and told us that he was initially skeptical of video testimonies on TikTok about ethical recruitment, but the comment section helped him build trust. Candidates who speak on camera may have been coerced to do so, but the comments pouring in from all over the world can share experiences about how much was paid and to whom. Such unsolicited feedback in the comments section can be powerful reviews of recruiters or employers. 

Intentionally opening the ‘room’ for discussion to counter the disbelief and mistrust has sometimes worked for our TikTok account. The platform can also help understand public sentiments better. What wages would make living in Nepal affordable, for example, is a common question that generates a lot of engagement. 

Awareness raising on its own does not amount to much, though. Knowing about ethical recruitment does not necessarily improve a migrant’s situation if the only available overseas jobs require a hefty fee. 

Workers who pay Rs400,000, even when they know better, face the same debt traps and diminished returns as those who do not. And the already small number of ethical drives in Nepal have shrunk significantly after Malaysia closed its doors to foreign workers.  

In an ideal world, if there was a critical mass of zero or low cost recruitment opportunities in the market, our social media efforts would have been more interesting because we could then try to generate upward pressure from workers so they only select the best opportunities and agencies. Already, there are some workers who waited for ethical recruitment without applying for jobs that required fees.

In the current climate in which employers themselves do not abide by the employer-pays principle, the best we can hope for is that it at least makes people a little intentional and mindful while choosing their migration journey — think twice, do research, explore all avenues and not blindly rely on fraudulent middlemen.

The Migration Lab TikTok account recently hit the 100,000 followers milestone. The platform is wildly unpredictable: one of our early videos that was quickly put together on a phone took off, and far outperformed carefully edited posts. 

Our first ‘viral’ moment on TikTok was a lesson not to overthink it and just post if it is relevant to our work. 

We want to be more intentional about leveraging the platform to promote good migration, shape thoughtful narratives and tell good stories. Without being too serious about it lest the TikTok algorithm picks up on it, and punishes us.

Upasana Khadka heads Migration Lab, a social enterprise aimed at making migration outcomes better for workers and their families. Labour Mobility is a regular column in Nepali Times.