<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131120/6372334a9c7e80680e0c48d5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1536" height="2048"/>The Covid pandemic had a major impact on Nepal’s economic mainstay, overseas employment. Those stuck abroad in 2020 were unable to return to Nepal, even when they lost their jobs. Migrant workers in Nepal could not resume or start overseas employment. Many chose to stay on and hold on to jobs, even when wages and work hours were not ideal.Laid-off workers did return home en masse, only to find that lofty promises of reintegration were just that: promises. Despite all this, remittances defied predictions.In 2021, jobs abroad started reopening, even though migrants faced <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepalis-queueing-up-all-night-for-proof-of-jab/">complicated, costly and confusing requirements</a> related to vaccines and quarantines.A year on, foreign employment has not just recovered but surpassed pre-pandemic levels. More than 630,000 Nepalis left for overseas jobs in the last fiscal year — a huge jump in labour approvals from 166,698 in 2021, and 368,433 in 2020.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/no-country-for-young-men/">No country for young men</a>, Shristi Karki<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131120/6372334d9c7e80680e0c48d6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="970" height="472">Nearly 78% of the permits so far this year were for just three countries: Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE. And only 8% of them were obtained by female workers. The revival of overseas labour also brings relief to recruitment agencies whose business had been adversely impacted over the last two years.Under the Korea Employment Permit Scheme and Israel caregiver G2G workers underwent gruelling test and selection processes, but were unable to leave and were stranded for years. But by now, and estimated 6,000 of the 10,000 Nepalis have started EPS related employment in South Korea.Demand for jobs in Malaysia has also rebounded, and recruiters say it is difficult to find seats on flights out, and fares are expensive.A majority of Nepali workers continue to pay high fees for placements, but there are a few ethical recruitment initiatives that do not charge any fees. Recruiters attribute this to some multinationals in Malaysia have come under global scrutiny, and faced export bans due to evidence of forced labour conditions, including high recruitment fees.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/painting-a-bright-future/">Painting a bright future</a>, Nepali Times<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131120/6372334e9c7e80680e0c48d7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="709" height="553">Nepal has also announced that it will allow recruitment of workers for short-term contracts in Qatar provided the employer bears all the costs of recruitment. The labour approval process in Nepal requires that workers have a contract of at least 2 years, but given the surge in demand for hospitality workers in Qatar for the World Cup the government has made an exception.Other countries like the UK <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/may/27/stop-abuse-of-migrant-workers-before-britain-becomes-the-next-dubai">have also been spotlighted</a> for high recruitment fees paid by Nepali workers in seasonal agriculture jobs. Despite that, employment in Britain is highly prized by Nepali workers who are applying in large numbers as that country faces a severe labour shortage.Despite the revival of foreign employment after the pandemic, there is poor implementation of Nepal’s policy on reintegration of returning workers due to government apathy. The newly issued reintegration guideline prioritises economic reintegration support in both wage- and self-employment while also prioritising a range of social reintegration support including psychosocial counselling for those who need it.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/the-days-of-international-migration/">The Days of International Migration</a>, Editorial<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114131120/637233519c7e80680e0c48d8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1536" height="2048">With the World Cup in Qatar set to start in November, there are also some employers in the hospitality industry hiring workers at zero fees. High profile projects overseas with reputational and financial risks have created a demand for ethical sourcing.Despite delays, the directive is a much needed step in the right direction. But as we have stressed before in this space, the real test lies in its implementation.The most tragic cases of returning workers are those who die overseas, and are flown back to Kathmandu airport in coffins on the very flights that are taking more migrants abroad. There were 1,242 deaths of migrant workers overseas in the last fiscal year, with most of those families receiving financial compensation from the Foreign Employment Welfare Fund.The actual number of deaths is probably higher given that this is only a tally of the families that received financial compensation for which valid labour approvals are required. The highest fatalities of Nepali workers in the past year were in Saudi Arabia (362), Malaysia (280), Qatar (239) and the UAE (208).According to government records, the most common cause of death were chronic disease (427), suicide (140), traffic accidents (119), cardiac arrest (104) and ‘natural’ deaths (171). Many of these deaths go uncompensated by foreign employers, and many unexplained fatalities are seldom properly investigated.This remains a dark reality of Nepal’s overseas employment story, and many of these deaths were probably preventable. But as we have previously reported, Nepalis are dying abroad but also dying to work abroad. And therein lies our conundrum.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/human-rights-referees-blow-whistle-on-world-cup-fouls/">Rights referees blow whistle on World Cup fouls</a>, Kunda Dixit

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Foreign employment revival

<figure><img width="1750" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721cf49c7e80680e0bd4bejpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo credit: PAUL JEFFREY</figcaption></figure>Every new crisis heightens the importance of l<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/no-country-for-young-men/">abour migration</a> for Nepal’s economy. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/defying-predictions-nepals-remittances-still-high/">Remittance money</a> has run this country for past centuries, right down to the present day. A succession of rulers have not offered citizens even the bare minimum to survive, so Nepalis have voted with their feet – as workers or warriors overseas. Now, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/female-migrant-workers-hold-up-half-the-sky/">women have also started migrating</a>, and about 10% of Nepali workers abroad are female.Remittance accounts for more than a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/high-risk-remittance/">quarter of Nepal’s GDP</a>, an ever-growing portion of which is from women workers abroad. Many are employed in India and in countries banned by the government, which means they are <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/caring-for-nepals-women/">missing from official records</a>.The history of labour migration from Nepal has its roots in the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-start-of-the-anglo-gorkha-war/">Nepal-British India wars.</a> Even before the formal defeat of the former <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=10937#.Yljce9NBzAM">Gurkhas were being recruited by Sikh king</a> Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Lahore having seen their bravery at the battle of Kangra in 1815. The word <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=10937#.Yljce9NBzAM">Lahure, लाहुरे,</a> denotes soldiers and men working abroad and is derived from the British cantonment in Lahore.  Migration of Nepali men for work and/or settlement is comparatively well documented, but women not so much. Even more neglected is the sacrifice and contribution of the women left behind in Nepal.Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=10937#.Yljce9NBzAM">'Lahureys’ prop Nepal’s economy</a>, Rajendra DahalIn his new book Lahure Women: Two Centuries of Struggle, Service and Silent Fortitude, Nepal scholar David Seddon looks at the role of the लाहुरे, the daughters, wives, mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers of Gurkhas and latter-day migrants in the Gulf, Malaysia and other countries.This is an attempt to bring women to the fore, and shed light on their changing role in Nepali society. The book has a brief history of Gurkhas in wars of the<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/looking-back-at-the-1923-nepal-britain-treaty/"> last 200 years</a>, and the role of Lahure women. Labour migration was also the beginning of women empowerment in Nepal. Women left behind had to take care of families and farms after the men left. The difference today is that the women are also leaving in greater numbers – to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/demand-grows-for-nepali-caregivers-in-israel/">work as caregivers in Israel and as household help</a> in the Gulf countries.This is the driving force behind the increasing purchasing power of Nepali families, the dramatic fall in the poverty rate, and the spurt in grassroots development. Families in villages can now afford more nutritious food, healthcare and ‘boarding’ school education for their children – paid for by remittance money sent home. Many women who initially faced increased burden in absence of men are now <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/women-leaders-set-example-for-rest-of-nepal/">leaders of their communities</a>. They head forestry users groups, are in school management committees, volunteer as community health workers, implement drinking water projects, and are adapting to climate change.   Seddon reminds us that not all women were left behind. Even during the Anglo-Nepal war, women and children followed the Gorkhali garrisons and made up a significant portion of camp followers. Some were companions or concubines. Wives of Gorkhali soldiers even fought and died alongside their husbands in the battles of Kangra and Malaun.  Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/history-of-female-immobility-in-nepal/">History of female (im)mobility in Nepal</a>, Upasana KhadkaDuring the 19th century, Nepalis migrated to India to avoid high taxation, or to escape debt. As tea plantations spread in Darjeeling, entire families moved out of eastern Nepal to be pickers. From there they went on to Bhutan and Burma to work in dairy farms. It was in the late 19th century that Nepalis ventured beyond India, starting with Fiji and the West Indies, where they went as indentured labourers in British sugarcane plantations – many went with families.Seddon traces what must be one of the first documented Nepali woman migrant workers. He writes: ‘In a fascinating discussion of Indian indentured labour, involving predominantly Indian women being shipped to the West Indies and elsewhere, by Gaiutra Bahadur, mention is made of a “Nipalese woman” named Morti.’In the original document, Morti is described as refusing to acknowledge her husband and ‘if the couple had been married, it was perhaps a hastily struck depot or shipboard marriage as they were not from the same part of India, not remotely.’There were 200,000 Gurkhas deployed in the First World War, which accounted for one-fourth of the total male population in Nepal at the time. The Second World War also saw a similar number. Nearly 50,000 Nepali young men were killed in both wars, leaving us to consider what impact this loss might have had on the families in rural Nepal.Others chose not to return and settled with their families in Hong Kong, Singapore, Burma and Malaya where they had served under the British Army. By 1952-54, just over 12% of all Nepalis abroad were women. Seddon tries hard to find information on the roles Gurkhali women played, but it is scanty. The historical neglect by the state of Nepali women is reflected in the lack of documentation of their role, rendering their experience and sacrifices invisible. The book relies on reportage, including some from the Nepali Times. (Wish the author had credited the feature on Nepalis in Thailand, though.) <img width="326" height="279" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111148/63721cf69c7e80680e0bd4bfjpeg.jpg" alt="">Seddon himself acknowledges the gaps and the need for more research. Lahure Women can be seen as the start of a process for further anthropological research into this important socio-economic aspect of Nepal’s migration. Read more: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/nepali-migrants-too-young-to-die,2811">Killed in the line of duty</a>, Om Astha Rai

Sonia Awale

The women left behind

<figure><img width="640" height="427" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110151120/636d08fd9c7e80680e0a604ejpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: https://www.microbizmag.co.uk</figcaption></figure>Nepal has plenty of programmers well-versed in every coding language, designers experienced in creating logos and websites, project managers who can execute tasks on time, data experts and analysts who are able to help IT startups successfully service their clients and grow their business. Where did these talented Nepali minds mushroom from? Digital education, online training, web exposure and IT colleges, for starters. They all work from home, using a reliable laptop and an Internet connection to earn in dollars and euros.By freelancing online, young Nepali professionals have been using their digital skills to earn more than the monthly salary in a full-time office-based job. While the perks and benefits of employment at a company, public or private, are not negligible, working projects with open hours for clients based abroad provides good earnings. With freelance portal sites like <a href="https://www.upwork.com/">Upwork,</a> <a href="https://www.fiverr.com/">Fiverr</a> and <a href="https://www.freelancer.com/">Freelancer</a> that help clients find talent worldwide, sealing a freelance deal is easier than ever. The aggregator website plays a big role in keeping such transactions fair, professional and visible. Clients can browse freelancers’ portfolios, applicants can offer quotations and bid for a project in a systematic fashion, and the work can be assigned, tracked and delivered throughout to increase accountability and ensure productivity. <a href="https://www.paypal.com/np/home">PayPal,</a> <a href="https://www.payoneer.com/">Payoneer</a>, <a href="https://www.westernunion.com/us/en/home.html">Western Union</a> and direct wire transfers to bank accounts are all valid payment methods that help Nepalis receive international payments while sitting at their work desk at home. The more efficient and talented the professional, the higher the number of projects per month, therefore the higher the income. The opportunities seem endless, given the working professionals’ willingness to forego sleep, their social lives and a desire to lead an active lifestyle (considering that this kind of job usually warrants long hours of sitting in front of a computer screen).But what about those who enjoy the stability of a salaried job, working face-to-face with a supervisor who leads the project, and the security of a reputed company as an employer? Well, in this digital age, there is a solution to everything online. Companies based in Australia, South Africa, North America and the UK would much rather hire professionals working remotely from Nepal than their own country, given the lower pay scales and hard-working habits that come with the region.Website developers, graphic designers, SEO experts, data entry officers, UX/UI designers, content writers, social media managers, legal advisers and financial consultants are all able to find employment with companies that are more than happy to not pay for expensive commutes, provide lunch cafeterias or invest in quality office furniture for their cloud-based outsourced employees. A home loan business based in New South Wales, a truckers’ insurance firm in San Francisco and an animation company in California have all found talented professionals at affordable rates in Nepal, and hired them after doing several rounds of background checks, without ever meeting these candidates in person. The HR executive making the hires, too, may be a third country national, and none of it is of concern, as long as they have been properly trained to keep things professional, complete with an accent to match.What is the bad news here, you may ask. Well, digital migration causes as much of a brain drain as old-school migration. Without even issuing passports, landing work visas or buying expensive flight tickets, droves of young, smart and capable Nepalis are able to get employed abroad and escape joining local businesses and industries. This means that Nepal-based animation houses, website development companies and digital marketing agencies do not have access to the workforce that is foreign-employed. For all we know, the best digital skill professionals in Nepal could already be under the wing of some cloud-based company that works as the middleman between businesses scaling up and data-computing digital workers.On a personal level, taking on such online jobs can be taxing for an individual if the working hours are odd or keeping to a different time zone. Reporting to work at 5AM to match Australian hours is still possible, but clocking in at 8PM and working through the night for a US customer is a challenge not everybody can rise to. Quite literally, the body clock goes haywire, affecting the digestive system, menstrual cycle and mood for many people who struggle to also balance their domestic lives with such contrasting office hours. Maintaining marital relationships and sharing parenting responsibilities can be tough with work hours that are the opposite of a regular 9-5. The way remittance earnings have shouldered Nepal’s economy, online jobs could be the way forward. People can help ease their family’s financial troubles, save up to invest in assets like vehicles and property, and put their children through private schools. With lower pay grades, difficult bosses, office politics and potential discrimination (based on gender, caste or ethnicity) all being factors that may come into play with working a physical job with a local organisation in Nepal, there is every reason to explore online work opportunities.Working with international teams allows new and exciting data management software, project management systems and dynamic co-workers that make work life smooth and ideal. Why give up all that for the idea that talent must directly contribute to a local industry or Nepal-born business startup? The argument is strong, and this is only just the start to a decades-long debate on the digital-driven movement of opening up to global markets spearheaded by the Internet.Saniaa Shah runs Studio Aakar, a film production studio. Her marketing career helped her develop a keen interest in tech and digital culture.

Saniaa Shah

Digital migrants

<figure><img width="1500" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914110/636ba4cf9c7e80680e073689jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: UPASANA KHADKA</figcaption></figure>The Nepal government knows how much this country is dependent on remittances from Nepalis working abroad. It pays the salaries of politicians and bureaucrats from the money they send home. They should also know how vulnerable the economy is to tensions in the Persian Gulf or Southeast Asia, or global emergencies like this pandemic. The Iraq War, the UAE and Saudi Arabian blockade of Qatar, and tension in the Straits of Hormuz between Iran and the United States highlighted the risk. In 2004, <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=1872" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D1872&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596761920051000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGHXhtxyVCRqf8_H7utduKM5dCPIg">twelve Nepali workers</a> employed by contractors at a US military base in Iraq were shot to death on video. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepali-guards-sue-canada-government/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepali-guards-sue-canada-government/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596761920051000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEKCY1YNqgQy1Rymz2rk4FUIPTY1w">Fourteen Nepalis guarding the Canadian Embassy</a> in Kabul were killed in 2016 in an attack by Taliban militants. Hundreds of Nepalis had to be evacuated from Libya when civil war broke out there in 2011. And when the massive <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepalis-caught-up-in-beirut-blast-recount-horror/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepalis-caught-up-in-beirut-blast-recount-horror/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596761920052000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGUeqxhgFA-ENxG2znusOs8BhJAFg">blast rent downtown Beirut</a> on Tuesday, there were Nepali domestic workers and peacekeepers who were caught up in the horror. Because Nepalis are now scattered all over the globe, any conflict or natural disaster is likely to involve nationals of this country. More Nepalis have died of COVID-19 (190) <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/labour-mobility/crossborder-virus-and-nepali-migrant-workers/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/labour-mobility/crossborder-virus-and-nepali-migrant-workers/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596761920052000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHBK22fLRYmQVTPTh18hAon-pIR_w">in 38 countries</a>, than in Nepal itself (60) so far. The vulnerability of Nepal’s economy to over-reliance on migrant labour has been driven home by this pandemic. In Asia, Nepal is second only to Kyrgyzstan in terms of reliance on money sent home by its overseas workers – a full 28% equivalent of Nepal’s GDP comes from remittances. More than <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/editorial/nepals-number-one-export-nepali-people,4103" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/editorial/nepals-number-one-export-nepali-people,4103&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596761920052000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGEFxBT8EcGOGbP-Wp2EQ5cQ5iuaQ">15% of Nepal’s population is working abroad</a>. Of these 2.5-3 million (no one knows for sure) are in India. Of the other 2 million, 60% work in just four Gulf countries: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and Kuwait. Of these, an estimated 200,000 have returned from India. And of the 210,000 who have <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/long-and-winding-road-home-to-nepal/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/long-and-winding-road-home-to-nepal/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596761920052000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFaDtbsD6yk-2Hd7YSxM7MwfjHPvQ">registered with Nepal’s missions</a> abroad to come home, only 32,000 have been repatriated since 15 June. For the past two years, the number of Nepalis migrating overseas for work had been steadily declining, although remittances held steady. The pandemic now threatens to reduce that income.   The monthly remittances through official channels in April this year was half the amount for April 2019, although it has picked up since. The World Bank estimates that remittances globally this year will fall 20% below last year’s level, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) puts the losses at 28% for Nepal as its overseas workers are laid off, or get reduced salaries. <figure><img width="1280" height="720" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914110/636ba4d29c7e80680e07368ajpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Country wise breakdown of remittance in 2017-18. Source: NRB </figcaption></figure><figure><img width="1280" height="720" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110914110/636ba4d59c7e80680e07368bjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Trend in incoming remittance. Source: NRB</figcaption></figure>The $7 billion a year that Nepali workers abroad send home helps pay for Nepal’s imports, of which the highest proportion (16%) is petroleum. At the household level, surveys have shown that migrant earnings help pay for food and education of most families back home. Nepal’s absolute poverty declined by half to 25% in the past 20 years – most of this is credited to increased household income from workers abroad. A fall in remittances could set Nepal back a decade in terms of gains in maternal and child survival, nutrition and poverty rate.The hope was that many of the returnees could be re-engaged in agriculture to grow food on land that has been fallow because of out-migration. This has happened to some extent this planting season, but because no government campaign was launched to provide credit and other inputs, it will not be at levels where national food production will go up this year.There is also the argument that <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepali-overseas-workers-who-remain-behind/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepali-overseas-workers-who-remain-behind/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596761920052000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEA9m-gqgWfPKTbKGSya8m6IIXqlQ">most Nepali workers in India and overseas still have their jobs</a>, and have not returned. Even though there is an economic downturn, host countries still need migrant workers to do the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepali-overseas-workers-who-remain-behind/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepali-overseas-workers-who-remain-behind/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596761920052000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEA9m-gqgWfPKTbKGSya8m6IIXqlQ">dirty, dangerous and demeaning jobs</a> that their nationals will not do. But that is a slim hope. The pandemic shows no sign of abating. And as long as structural distortions in the economy that forced Nepalis to migrate (and be exploited and abused in the process) is not addressed, it is unlikely that those who have returned will stay.There is <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/homecoming/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/homecoming/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596761920052000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGFNpJPbN2C5ArVAlZI_HxDehBTAg">no realistic government program</a> on the horizon for <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/where-have-we-heard-that-one-before/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/where-have-we-heard-that-one-before/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1596761920052000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHPsqfIYklx5OBm9rtIpYyBthm3vg">mass job creation at home</a> for returnees, the backlog of Nepalis waiting to go abroad, and the 600,000 new entries into the labour market every year.

High-risk remittance

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141120/636a57d89c7e80680e054804jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="6000" height="4000"/><figcaption>When she is not at university, Anita Sapkota, 27, helps her husband manage and run the Shiva Mahal restaurant in Naha.</figcaption></figure>Five years ago, 27-year-old Anita Sapkota left behind friends and family in Kathmandu to seek a better life on Japan’s tropical island of Okinawa. Sapkota is now married to another Nepali who runs the Shiva Mahal restaurant in Naha, speaks fluent Japanese and is at university studying to be an English teacher.She was working in a travel agency in Kathmandu, but decided to take the leap to pursue her studies 4,000km away. “At first I cried a lot, was homesick and did not want to leave my parents,” recalls Sapkota. “I did not know when I would be back.”The <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/nepalis-from-chitwan-to-chidoya,4110">number of Nepalis in Japan has grown</a> 10-fold in the last ten years to at <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/02/21/national/social-issues/migrants-exploiting-refugee-applicant-loophole-work-labor-scarce-japan/#.XX9uQfAza72">least 80,000 today</a>, and many of them have decided to settle in Okinawa, which is warmer and more relaxed than the main islands of Japan. Nepalis make up the biggest proportion of foreign workers in Okinawa at 24.6% -- followed by Vietnam (16.4%) and the Philippines (12.5%).<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141120/636a57db9c7e80680e054805jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="5833" height="3889"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Nepali students like to come to Okinawa because they are allowed to work part-time for up to 28 hours a week during school term, much longer than in Australia, another popular destination for Nepalis. This allows them to study and work to pay off tuition fees and living expenses.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141120/636a57df9c7e80680e054806jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="5801" height="3867"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Another reason is that international students have a higher chance of getting employed in Japan now as the government is encouraging Japanese companies to employ more foreigners, under the Japan Revitalisation Strategy.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141120/636a57e49c7e80680e054807jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="6000" height="4000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Many Nepali workers choose to work in convenience stores because they can practice their Japanese by interacting with customers. Last year, the number of foreign nationals working in Japan’s four major chains exceeded 55,000.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141120/636a57e79c7e80680e054808jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="5000" height="3750"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>But Nepali migrants pay a price to pursue their dreams in Okinawa. It costs nearly 1,256,000 yen ($11,500) a year to do a two-year course at a Japanese language school. Many Nepali students have to work to pay off the loans they took to come here. Even if they work the full 28 hours, many still struggle financially given the 800 yen ($7.4) hourly wage, and risk deportation to take multiple jobs.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141120/636a57eb9c7e80680e054809jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="6000" height="3691"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>After 6pm, instead of driving south to his home in Itoman City, Laxman Ojha heads in the opposite direction to Urasoe, where he attends a karate class in a dojo three days a week. Ojha has been living in Okinawa for eight years, and said that while he does not have any issues integrating with Okinawans, newcomers struggle because of language and cultural differences.“If nobody teaches them, they could make mistakes, which will not be good for both communities,” said the 32-year-old.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141120/636a57ef9c7e80680e05480ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="6000" height="3750"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141120/636a57f39c7e80680e05480bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="3000" height="2000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141120/636a57f69c7e80680e05480cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2500" height="1667"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141120/636a57fa9c7e80680e05480djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="6000" height="4000"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141120/636a57fe9c7e80680e05480ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="5422" height="3615"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141120/636a58029c7e80680e05480fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="5652" height="3768"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141120/636a58069c7e80680e054810jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="5700" height="3800"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Despite her struggles, Nepalis like Anita Sapkota are hopeful about the future: “Okinawa has taught me the meaning of hard work and the importance of family and friends. My aim is not only to work here, but to get a reputable job where I can earn respect before heading home.”Charlene Chua is at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University. She was part of the Going Overseas for Advanced Reporting program.

Why Nepalis are flocking to Okinawa

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Why Nepalis are flocking to Okinawa