<figure><img width="1500" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111120/637216ab9c7e80680e0ba9a5jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Another year, yet another <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/mayday-mayday-mayday/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">May Day</a>. As Nepal emerges from the ravages of the pandemic and the economic crisis created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the role of remittances in supporting families and indeed the country’s economy is more vital than ever. On this year’s May 1 Labour Day, Nepalis are also preparing to vote in <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/coalition-collision/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">local elections</a>. But not the country’s estimated 4 million workers abroad who prop up the economy. They are still not allowed to exercise their Constitutional right to vote, even after the Supreme Court ordered the government in 2018 to make arrangements to facilitate absentee ballots.Political leaders have ignored that ruling. Nepal’s main parties have made such a mess of governance that they sense (probably correctly) that the diaspora vote will be anti-incumbent.And, as Tilu Sharma argues from Qatar, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/the-days-of-international-migration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepal’s migrant workers</a> know only too well the hurdles the government puts on their path, while using the money they send home to keep the national economy afloat. The fight to be heard is even more challenging abroad where our workers, despite filling jobs not wanted by locals, in what are known as the ‘D3’ (Difficult, Dangerous, Dirty) are treated as invisibles.In this Labour Day Special edition, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/power-of-workers-working-together/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Madhusudhan Ojha</a> walks us through the struggle of the Migrant Worker Union in Korea to gain legitimacy. The pioneers of that labour movement included Nepalis who risked deportation and detention for better rights in a foreign land. Ojha’s experience shows the importance of collective bargaining, while also demonstrating how it is an ongoing and often thankless process with some of their demands the same as what it was decades ago. <img width="468" height="727" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114111120/637216ae9c7e80680e0ba9a6jpeg.jpg" alt="">If this is the situation in one of the better-run bilateral migration programs, it is not difficult to imagine how Nepali workers are treated in other destinations like <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/human-rights-referees-blow-whistle-on-world-cup-fouls/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Qatar</a>, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, or India. In most of these places, migrant workers are banned from unionising.UAE resident and journalist Umakanta Pandey is currently in detention, not for criticising the Emirati government but on a complaint by the Nepal Embassy for posting about visit visa misuse that put workers at risk. When a Nepali citizen is serving time in the UAE at the request of a Nepali state organ, how can we expect Singha Darbar to be more vigilant about protection of our overseas workers?It is a tragic irony that while Nepal prepares for <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/coalition-calculation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">local elections</a>, not only are our overseas workers not allowed to vote, but their sacrifices get barely a mention. In fact, the government is only worried about how falling remittances have further reduced Nepal’s forex reserves. Politicians are even calling on migrants to send money through legal channels to help out in this time of crisis.Then there is the much-touted <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/missing-the-plot-in-nepals-job-scheme/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prime Minister’s Employment Program</a> which has failed to deliver as promised. The lesson here is to empower local governments for decision-making, provide them with resources and promote seamless coordination with the federal government.A more honest way to mark Labour Day would be to under-promise and over-deliver, have more work and less talk. But with parties on the campaign trail, all we hear is lofty talk and more empty promises.May Day coverage this week and over the last 21 years in this paper have time and again demonstrated the role of the ‘remittance senders’. One such story is that of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/between-home-and-the-deep-blue-sea/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prakash Gurung</a> who worked as a safety adviser at an off-shore oil rig in Qatar and has returned. His is a story of wasted potential, wasted opportunities.Gurung’s story is an example of how Nepalis can also fill high-paying jobs in the Gulf, but have been largely unable to do so. Despite having workplace safety monitoring skills and experience that would be critical for our economy, the returnee has turned to agriculture in frustration.Migrant workers like Tilu Sharma, Madhusudhan Ojha and Prakash Gurung in this edition of Nepali Times have called out <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/nepali-migration-in-the-2020s/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">state complacency and neglect</a>. And elections this year are not likely to address these issues faced by migrant, especially since they cannot even vote.Remittance inflows decreased 1.7% to Rs631.19 billion, and 3% to $5.28 billion in the eight month review period ending mid-March. The number of Nepalis taking labour approval including renewals bounced back to 406,162 in the same period.<a style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/in-the-minds-of-nepals-migrant-workers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepali migrant workers</a> will continue to chart their own paths, test their luck overseas and silently contribute to the economy with the state doing nothing more than putting hurdles every step of the way before they leave, while they are abroad, and once they return.

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Mirage of migrant rights

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101148/63720f1a9c7e80680e0b7956jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="959" height="1280"/><figcaption></figcaption></figure>I am a Lionel Messi fan. In fact, I might be one of Messi's biggest fans in the world.Someday, after he retires and when I am convinced that a tattoo will not affect my employment prospects, I am going to ink Messi on my arm. I have even selected a picture which captures a very iconic moment in football history (see pic) when he scored a goal in the very last minute against Real Madrid.He has inspired me through and through. Not just with his sportsmanship and genius on the football field, but as a wholesome, likeable individual.When I applied for this job in the Qatar Police in 2020, it was of course for a better salary than I am getting in Nepal. But a small part of me also relished the possibility of seeing Messi in Qatar during <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/human-rights-referees-blow-whistle-on-world-cup-fouls/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/human-rights-referees-blow-whistle-on-world-cup-fouls/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648613052044000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1UZUxHLQMGPT0RGuOayrlK">the FIFA World Cup</a>.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101148/63720f1d9c7e80680e0b7957jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="937" height="421">During one of my flights of fancy, I would picture myself taking a selfie with him. I know that is far-fetched, but just watching him play in one of the stadiums that our Nepali brothers helped build did not seem impossible. You never know, I used to tell myself.A friend with ties to a manpower company approached me and told me about the job openings for Qatar Police. At first, I was not interested because I did not just want to go to the Gulf or Malaysia. I had my sights set on Australia or Canada, where I could also migrate with my wife and children.But the friend convinced me that this was not like any other job in the Gulf. It was with the Qatar Police and I could earn up to Rs300,000 a month with other perks, including a pension. It was of course going to come at a cost. The recruiters wanted Rs1 million.As someone who is familiar with the inner workings of foreign employment, I was aware of two things: not paying the recruiter fee was not an option, and paying too early also carried the risk of losing both the money and the job.Not paying could mean the job could go to someone else, since the craze for this job in particular was very high. And there was the prospect of being cheated by the manpower company.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101148/63720f1f9c7e80680e0b7958jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="521" height="523">So, I made an arrangement with the recruitment agency via my friend that I would only pay once I had the tickets in my hands. Silently, in my mind, I thought I would pay the fee right at the airport before my flight so there would be no room for any hanky-panky.Others who were on the same boat as me did not think the way I did. I do not know if it is because they did not know any better, or because they were scared of losing the offer. But they paid a large portion of the fee the recruiters demanded upfront. They took out loans long before their paperwork was done. This meant that the interest rate was already adding up even before they got the job.When I appeared for my interview, it was evident that the Qatari evaluators liked me instantly. I am pretty well built, and can look strong and athletic, just what they were looking for. As someone who has appeared in multiple interviews in the past, both successfully and otherwise, I have a good knack for sensing when luck is in my favour.This time, I could tell from their nods at my responses, or when I flexed my arm muscles, that I was the kind of candidate they had in mind. They had smiles on their faces as they looked at each other, and spoke with their eyes. My hunch was indeed correct. I was offered the job the same day.This was not something that I had planned all along. My wife and I planned to go overseas together if we were ever to leave, so she started crying even before I got my visa. With the kind of salary that came with this job, I assured her that I would take her and my family with me to Qatar. My wife could also easily get a job there. We are young and active, what was there to lose? A few years and the savings would set us up for life.I completed all required paperwork, including the medical exam. With every successful step, I felt closer to a better future and if I was fortunate, to watch Messi play. Just a glimpse to cheer for him, possibly in one of his last games ever, I would think.But as luck would have it, just when everything was close to completion we found out that the process would not move forward. I was gutted.The fact that people were being charged very high, especially for a police job, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/qatar-police-recruitment-row-hits-nepalis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/qatar-police-recruitment-row-hits-nepalis/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648613052044000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3-xw8WfPXCkoDEZBOllQtA">came out in the media</a>. The whole process was then under heavy scrutiny. We were told high level government officials and politicians were involved. The Qataris were also said to be in it. People with insider knowledge including my friend said that up to 40% of what we paid as fee for the jobs were cuts for politicians.The exposure and scrutiny meant the safer route for all crooks involved was to cancel the whole deal. No one really thought of those of us who had already been selected, and how we felt.I am well aware that the manpower company, including my friend, were cheating me. But when it all blew up, it did not solve the problem did it?The solution would have been if I would have got to Qatar as per the fee-visa free-ticket policy, and be currently employed. Forget free-visa free-ticket, even half the market rate in recruiter fee for this job would have helped.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101148/63720f219c7e80680e0b7959jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="959"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>I did not get to go. Am I better off here without that job? Surely not. I am earning a tenth of the salary I could have earned in the Qatar Police. In fact, by now I would have already paid back the loans I would have taken to pay the recruitment costs, and started saving.Have you ever wondered why those of us who made it through the process are not out in the streets protesting about the high costs we were being demanded, or how devastated we were when the job order got canceled even after all our paperwork was complete?Because deep inside, we are still hopeful that it will work out. We have not given up the hope that the visas will come. This hope got further strengthened when we heard that Nepal’s new Labour Minister went to Qatar. Perhaps this deadlock will be addressed.I know a few fellow aspirants who have paid the recruitment company a fee for the jobs that never materialised. Asking for all of it back makes them fear that they will lose the offer if it ever does come.Leaving a small portion of the money as a security deposit gives them an assurance, perhaps a false one, that they will be in the priority list if the job offer is ever revived.Sometimes, I feel <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-must-now-send-skilled-workers-to-qatar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-must-now-send-skilled-workers-to-qatar/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1648613052044000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1EyVMqL0EyK1ss_EuGHaiX">cheated by the state</a> when I think about all that happened. Politicians at the highest level are not just failing in their duty as protectors of us citizens, they are snatching away even the few opportunities from us. Just so they can fulfill their own greed.They are not fixing the high recruitment cost problem, but trying to benefit from it.  Or the Qatari authorities who were allegedly trying to get a cut too. The amount of profit that they lost because of the job cancellation, and because people like me could not go, did not make even the slightest dent in their wealth, but imagine how much we lost.The job orders got cancelled. It was not the cost that got canceled, but the job itself. And who lost? We did. Not those in power. Not the manpower companies. Not Qataris. Just us, who were willing to work hard and do everything it took to improve our lives.Many of us who go through the interviews were former police and army folks.When the recruiters asked for payment in exchange for jobs, we were being cheated. We know that. We are not naive, we weighed our options. Against all odds stacked against us – our poverty, low salaries that make living in Kathmandu challenging — we decided to take the risk. The Rs1 million that the manpower agent, who represented all the powers that be, asked for the job seemed like our only way out.I agreed to pay what was demanded. Only a fool would be willing to pay, if not paying was also an option. I know I deserved the job. The Qataris were impressed with my credentials. The fee I was paying was not to buy myself into a job that I was unqualified for, but simply to get a foothold for an interview to prove my worth.I still have hopes of joining the Qatar Police. I hope it will be under fairer circumstances in which we are not demanded exorbitant recruitment costs, and the process is transparent.Translated from a conversation in Nepali.Diaspora Diaries is a regular column in Nepali Times providing a platform for Nepalis to share their experiences of living, working, studying abroad. Authentic and original entries can be sent to <a href="mailto:editors@nepalitimes.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">editors@nepalitimes.com</a> with ‘Diaspora Diaries’ in the subject line.

The Qatar job mirage

<figure><img width="1312" height="985" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101136/63720c499c7e80680e0b785fjpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Nepali Times #1076 27 August - 2 September 2021</figcaption></figure>Two Nepali reporters are winners in top investigative journalism awards announced on 2 March, and have been recognised for their exposés of injustice.Namrata Sharma was awarded for her collaborative investigation with <a href="https://twitter.com/LucCaregari" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://twitter.com/LucCaregari&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1646323804757000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2CyCMOSnO6MAhntAjBoSiD">Luc Caregari</a> from <a href="https://www.reporter.lu/menschenhandel-in-luxemburg-ausbeutung-hinter-legaler-fassade/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.reporter.lu/menschenhandel-in-luxemburg-ausbeutung-hinter-legaler-fassade/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1646323804757000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2a_UpgwMRRcKDJR3jEFiGC">Reporter.lu</a> and <a href="https://www.financeuncovered.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.financeuncovered.org&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1646323804757000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0I9wU_d46sSthh3mtbv5Tz">Finance Uncovered</a>, of the human trafficking of Nepali workers by Nepali-owned restaurants in Luxembourg. Bhrikuti Rai’s investigative report exposed illegal sand-mining in Nepal and the murder of environmental activist Dilip Mahato three years ago. She got the <a href="https://fjawards.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://fjawards.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1646323804757000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2fAtsKTHconWIM0lnHsZ5T">Fetisov Journalism Award 2021</a> in the category Excellence in Environmental Reporting. Namrata Sharma is the former Chair of the Centre for Investigative Journalism Nepal (CIJ-N), while Bhrikuti Rai reported for Nepali Times and The Kathmandu Post. Both the award-winning investigative reports had been carried in Nepali Times in 2021.Sharma’s investigation built on a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepali-restaurateurs-fined-in-finland/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepali-restaurateurs-fined-in-finland/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1646323804757000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0uec_Ugialaei4yVhxvfSa">previous story</a> involving human trafficking and modern slavery in the Nepali restaurant trade in Finland. She used her extensive contacts in the South Asian migrant community across Europe to expose the crime in her collaborative story <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepalis-abused-by-nepalis-in-luxembourg/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepalis-abused-by-nepalis-in-luxembourg/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1646323804757000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1TinxURPSJQVRybROg2io_">‘Nepalis exploited by Nepalis in Luxembourg’</a>.  <figure><img width="640" height="603" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101136/63720c4c9c7e80680e0b7860jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Namrata Sharma</figcaption></figure>Workers at a popular Nepali restaurant in the Grand Duchy told her of serial beatings and other human rights abuses by the owner. The workers themselves had been trafficked from Nepal, and lured after paying money to the owners for their work permits.Although initially fearful of speaking out, the workers told Sharma about how they were barred from going out, their passports were confiscated, and their bank accounts controlled. The owners withdrew their employees’ wages,  and  made them work for free for a year.Sharma is working with other European whistleblowers on cross-border investigations of abuse and human trafficking by other Nepalis. <figure><img width="1317" height="987" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101136/63720c509c7e80680e0b7861jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Nepali Times #1043 8-14 January 2021</figcaption></figure><figure><img width="600" height="600" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221114101136/63720c539c7e80680e0b7862jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Bhrikuti Rai</figcaption></figure>Bhrikuti Rai’s story, ‘<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/drawing-a-line-in-the-sand/#gohere" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://nepalitimes.com/drawing-a-line-in-the-sand/%23gohere&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1646323804757000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1e4PAIVaCGboRIZClY_mia">Drawing a line in the sand’</a>, was published in Nepali Times last year and used the first anniversary of the murder by the sand mafia of activist Dilip Mahato to show how illegal sand-mining continued unabated and his family still sought justice for the crime. Winners in other categories include Corinne Redfern and Ali Ahsan for their joint Italy-Bangladesh investigation of sex trafficking, an expose of how the caste system persists in India’s prison system by <a href="https://fjawards.com/finalists/105-sukanya-shantha/article" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://fjawards.com/finalists/105-sukanya-shantha/article&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1646323804757000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2ZzMxaVzjqIV6Q4IRo3MeI">Sukanya Shantha </a>of The Wire website, and an <a href="https://fjawards.com/finalists/78-audrey-travere-phineas-rueckert-paloma-dupont-de-dinechin/article" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://fjawards.com/finalists/78-audrey-travere-phineas-rueckert-paloma-dupont-de-dinechin/article&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1646323804757000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0NEVr-IpgY03bmbJL7Ln_2">international investigation </a>of the Asian connection of the Mexican drug cartels.Finance Uncovered is an international investigative journalism training organisation that aims to improve the quantity and quality of investigative stories that are rooted in illicit finance or exploitation. The Fetisov Journalism Award was founded by Gleb Fetisov, a businessman, producer, scientist and philanthropist.

Nepalis win two investigative journalism awards

<figure><img width="816" height="612" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161148/636d1df69c7e80680e0af3e3jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Aakash KC finally flew to Korea on 13 December to rejoin his job after being stranded in Nepal for two years. Photo: AAKASH KC</figcaption></figure>When Aakash KC flew to Kathmandu from Seoul in February 2020, he was looking forward to a three-month break in Nepal from his job in South Korea. Little did he know that he would be stranded for almost two agonising years in Nepal due to the pandemic. KC finally flew back to Seoul on Monday after months of uncertainty because of confusing information on Covid, flip-flopping rules. “As per Korean law, I had to come to Nepal for three months before resuming with same employer for another five years,” KC said as he prepared to leave. KC is part of the much-coveted <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Korea-treating-Nepali-migrant-workers-right,2813" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Employment Permit Scheme (EPS)</a>, a government-to-government partnership between Nepal and Korea to supply workers, and is luckier than most other Nepali migrants because he had an employer who waited to have him back. KC had to renew his Certificate for Confirmation of Visa Issuance (CCVI) multiple times with help from his Korean employer. He said: “I used to feel anxious when co-workers from Sri Lanka had returned to their jobs in Korea whereas my future was uncertain.” KC’s employer was not just patient, he even sent him financial help during the early months of the pandemic. It is a testament to the hard work and trust that Nepali workers like KC have built with their Korean employers that they are willing to do that.  <img width="455" height="286" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161148/636d1df89c7e80680e0af3e4jpeg.jpg" alt="">KC did not look for any other options during the past two years, although he was tempted to prepare for Nepal’s civil service exams. He has retained his language skills, and earlier this week was excited about returning to Korea. To be sure, not everyone is as lucky as KC. Sunita Gurung worked on a farm in Korea, and received her CCVI for continued employment. But her employer cancelled because the process dragged on for too long, leaving her heartbroken and helpless. “I understand why he did that,” Gurung said. “How long can an employer wait when I could not confirm when I could return?” For over 10,000 other Nepalis who passed the competitive Korean language and skills exams, the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/labour-mobility/crossborder-virus-and-nepali-migrant-workers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pandemic has been a roller coaster ride</a>. They were too far along the process to let go of lucrative job opportunities in Korea that guarantees high wages and a secure future.  <figure><img width="960" height="720" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161148/636d1dfa9c7e80680e0af3e5jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Nepali workers boarding a Korean Air flight in Kathmandu this week after being stuck for nearly two years. Korea is opening up cautiously to see if there is another Covid surge. Photo: AAKASH KC</figcaption></figure>The workers saw the Gulf and Malaysia opening up after the lockdowns, and could not understand why Korea was still closed. Some workers were under pressure from their families to take up whatever overseas job was available. “When my family saw others from the community headed to Gulf, they asked why I could not do the same. They don’t understand,” said one worker. All the uncertainty and false alarms over the past year and a half has taken a toll on the mental health of <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Korean-kafala-migrants-in-Korea,4025" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">aspirants for Korea</a>. The lack of clear information also means confusion about whether the delay was due to Covid-19 restrictions in Nepal or Korea, vaccine status, or the result of insufficient diplomatic lobbying by the Nepal government.It has not helped that for almost three years, there has not been a Nepali ambassador in Seoul. Junior embassy staff do not have the same access and influence as an ambassador, and the country’s labour diplomacy has suffered as a result.“We knew it was due to public health concerns and the Korea government was using similar criteria to all EPS partner countries to assess whether to allow workers or not, but our government was also not being proactive,” said Askash KC who <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/delayed-dreams-for-korea-bound-nepalis/">took to the streets</a> earlier this year to put pressure on the Nepal government to lobby with the Koreans.  <figure><img width="2048" height="1536" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161148/636d1dfc9c7e80680e0af3e6jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Trilok Pant finally flew to Korea in October after waiting for nearly two years and is back at his job. "Work has started in full swing," he says. Photo: TRILOK PANT</figcaption></figure>The EPS Struggle Committee met government officials, including all five labour ministers in the past two years. A running joke within the Struggle Committee was that one labour minister who lasted only a few days in office earlier this year asked the members who had gone to appeal to him: “What is EPS?”The South Koreans had set three criteria for the corridors to resume: the presence of direct, regular flights to Incheon, all migrants buy Covid-19 insurance, and workers pay for ten-day quarantines on arrival in Korea. All these criteria were met, and despite the added cost to the workers, Nepalis finally started flying to Korea in October. Trilok Pant was among the first lot that went to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/dead-end-of-the-korean-dream/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Korea</a> in October after spending 22 months here. “There was so much excitement among the 48 Nepalis who went on the first flight,” he said on the phone from Korea. “Work has started in full swing now.”Like KC, Pant was also lucky to have a kind employer who sent him money during the pandemic, and waited for him as he renewed his CCVI four times because it only had six-month validity. “On my first day out of quarantine, he took us out for dinner,” Pant recalled. “It was a happy reunion.” <figure><img width="2048" height="1536" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161148/636d1dff9c7e80680e0af3e7jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Trilok Pant with his co-workers, including Nepalis, in Korea pre-pandemic. Photo: TRILOK PANT</figcaption></figure>In the 22 months that he was stranded in Nepal, Pant did not do any work because of the uncertainty about Korea. But Korean employers, too, have faced problems because their workers could not get back. Nepalis mostly are on jobs that locals will not do, especially not for the salaries for migrant workers. “Nepalis have a reputation for hard work and honesty, which worked to our advantage this time as our employers waited for us patiently amid all the uncertainty and inconvenience,” Pant added. For now, only a small proportion of those waiting have been <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-long-wait-before-flight/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">able to rejoin jobs</a>, and the Koreans appear to opening up cautiously to see if there is a Covid surge. Only if all goes well in the coming months will more workers be let in. And there are thousands of Nepalis waiting to fly out.

Long wait over, Nepalis return to Korea

Upasana Khadka

South Asia’s migrants share problems, share solutions

<img width="1500" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131120/636ced019c7e80680e09ad9cjpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Remittances from Nepali workers abroad have continued to defy expectations. They have risen to Rs729.02 billion, a 16.5% increase from the same period last year, according to a nine-month update report by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB). Last year, in the same review period, remittances fell by 4%. In the immediate months after the lockdown, there had been a drop from Rs79.3 billion in March 2020 to Rs34.5 billion and Rs54 billion in April and May 2020 respectively. But in 2021, Nepal received Rs86.8 billion in April alone. Remittance to Nepal was <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/defying-predictions-nepals-remittances-still-high/).">estimated to decrease significantly</a>: 18% by NRB, a worst-case scenario of up to 28.7% by the ADB, and a 14% drop later revised to 12% by the World Bank.  South Asia as a whole has also proved to be a lot more resilient than predicted: initial <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/business/remittances-from-nepali-workers-rise/">projections by the World Bank predicted</a> a 22% drop in 2020, later revised to 4% in 2020 followed by an 11% drop in 2021. However, the actual 2020 estimates for South Asia instead show a 5.2% growth. Global remittances were predicted to fall by 20% in 2020, but fell by only 1.6%. The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/business/remittances-from-nepali-workers-rise/">reason for remittances</a> staying robust is said to be the normalisation of informal remittances, the transfer of the last of the savings and end-of-service benefits of migrants, the counter-cyclical nature of remittances and the engagement of migrants in essential sectors that were needed to keep societies functioning through the lockdowns.  <img width="2558" height="1398" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131120/636ced049c7e80680e09ad9djpeg.jpg" alt="">“Informal economic activities such as gold smuggling are less prevalent due to Covid-19, so formal transfers have increased,” explains Executive Director of Nepal Rastra Bank Gunakar Bhatta. “Expenditure on consumer goods like electronics have perhaps also decreased given the crisis with a preference for savings and more cash-based transfers. Formal transfers have also been better managed in countries like South Korea in the recent years with more branches of banks abroad which has contributed to remittance formalisation.” The impact on bilateral flows, however, remains unclear due to lack of disaggregated data on remittance. The impact of the pandemic has not been uniform across countries, and subsequently, recoveries of economies and deployment of workers have also been uneven. Since 2017/18, Nepal’s Central Bureau of Statistics has stopped releasing data on bilateral flows of remittances. That year, the USA, India, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Qatar were the <a href="https://moless.gov.np/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Migration-Report-2020-English.pdf">five top sources</a> of remittances to Nepal. The impact of the pandemic on these countries varies significantly which would in turn impact remittances differently. A slight ray of hope had started to emerge before the current lockdown with a steady recovery of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-long-wait-before-flight/">workers deployment</a> overseas. While countries like <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/delayed-dreams-for-korea-bound-nepalis">Malaysia and South Korea</a> were not allowing new workers, demand in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE was picking up. With the second wave, however, foreign employment has once more come to a screeching halt. The government has stopped flights and the issuance of labour approvals. On the destination country side, too, Nepal is included in the ban list by an increasing number of countries, such as most recently by Malaysia, Japan, Kuwait, and the UAE.  <img width="2484" height="1422" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131120/636ced079c7e80680e09ad9ejpeg.jpg" alt="">As a result, many with tickets either in Nepal or in the destination country or those with contracts set to expire are stranded indefinitely, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/to-many-stranded-nepalis-not-enough-flights/">just like last year</a>, although at a much smaller scale. The government could also learn from mistakes last year in the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/preparing-for-nepals-returnees/">large scale repatriation</a> of migrant workers and extend support to migrants affected by the travel restrictions. Migrants in destination countries doing relatively better than Nepal will want to hang on to their jobs, and remit more to families back home to help them better cope with the crisis in the coming months. But amid the uncertainty, it is not just financial remittances which have stayed strong.  Nepalis abroad are also trying to help their country cope with the crisis. The Non-resident Nepali Association (NRNA) in Oman is set to send 600 oxygen cylinders on Saturday to the Ministry of Health.  “During the first wave, things were chaotic both here and in Nepal. In close coordination with the Nepal Embassy here, we were engaged in helping stranded Nepalis,” says Suresh Khadka, Vice President of the NRN Social Club Oman. “This time, given the situation, we are sending oxygen cylinders which seemed a lot more impactful than money.”  Nepal’s Ambassador to Oman Sharmila Parajuli Dhakal has arranged for a flight to take the cylinders on 15 May.  She says, “The situation is so bad in Nepal that every bit of support helps. I encouraged the Nepali community here to come together and their biggest challenge was logistics. We have arranged a flight to take the cylinders to Kathmandu. Even if we manage to save one life, it will be well worth it.”

More remittance, more than remittance

<img width="1500" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111144/636b84e29c7e80680e0677bfjpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Remittances from Nepali workers abroad have continued to defy expectations. They have risen to Rs729.02 billion, a 16.5% increase from the same period last year, according to a nine-month update report by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB). Last year, in the same review period, remittances fell by 4%. In the immediate months after the lockdown, there had been a drop from Rs79.3 billion in March 2020 to Rs34.5 billion and Rs54 billion in April and May 2020 respectively. But in 2021, Nepal received Rs86.8 billion in April alone. Remittance to Nepal was <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/defying-predictions-nepals-remittances-still-high/).">estimated to decrease significantly</a>: 18% by NRB, a worst-case scenario of up to 28.7% by the ADB, and a 14% drop later revised to 12% by the World Bank.  South Asia as a whole has also proved to be a lot more resilient than predicted: initial <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/business/remittances-from-nepali-workers-rise/">projections by the World Bank predicted</a> a 22% drop in 2020, later revised to 4% in 2020 followed by an 11% drop in 2021. However, the actual 2020 estimates for South Asia instead show a 5.2% growth. Global remittances were predicted to fall by 20% in 2020, but fell by only 1.6%. The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/business/remittances-from-nepali-workers-rise/">reason for remittances</a> staying robust is said to be the normalisation of informal remittances, the transfer of the last of the savings and end-of-service benefits of migrants, the counter-cyclical nature of remittances and the engagement of migrants in essential sectors that were needed to keep societies functioning through the lockdowns.  <img width="2558" height="1398" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111144/636b84e69c7e80680e0677c0jpeg.jpg" alt="">“Informal economic activities such as gold smuggling are less prevalent due to Covid-19, so formal transfers have increased,” explains Executive Director of Nepal Rastra Bank Gunakar Bhatta. “Expenditure on consumer goods like electronics have perhaps also decreased given the crisis with a preference for savings and more cash-based transfers. Formal transfers have also been better managed in countries like South Korea in the recent years with more branches of banks abroad which has contributed to remittance formalisation.” The impact on bilateral flows, however, remains unclear due to lack of disaggregated data on remittance. The impact of the pandemic has not been uniform across countries, and subsequently, recoveries of economies and deployment of workers have also been uneven. Since 2017/18, Nepal’s Central Bureau of Statistics has stopped releasing data on bilateral flows of remittances. That year, the USA, India, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Qatar were the <a href="https://moless.gov.np/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Migration-Report-2020-English.pdf">five top sources</a> of remittances to Nepal. The impact of the pandemic on these countries varies significantly which would in turn impact remittances differently. A slight ray of hope had started to emerge before the current lockdown with a steady recovery of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-long-wait-before-flight/">workers deployment</a> overseas. While countries like <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/delayed-dreams-for-korea-bound-nepalis">Malaysia and South Korea</a> were not allowing new workers, demand in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE was picking up. With the second wave, however, foreign employment has once more come to a screeching halt. The government has stopped flights and the issuance of labour approvals. On the destination country side, too, Nepal is included in the ban list by an increasing number of countries, such as most recently by Malaysia, Japan, Kuwait, and the UAE.  <img width="2484" height="1422" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111144/636b84e99c7e80680e0677c1jpeg.jpg" alt="">As a result, many with tickets either in Nepal or in the destination country or those with contracts set to expire are stranded indefinitely, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/to-many-stranded-nepalis-not-enough-flights/">just like last year</a>, although at a much smaller scale. The government could also learn from mistakes last year in the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/preparing-for-nepals-returnees/">large scale repatriation</a> of migrant workers and extend support to migrants affected by the travel restrictions. Migrants in destination countries doing relatively better than Nepal will want to hang on to their jobs, and remit more to families back home to help them better cope with the crisis in the coming months. But amid the uncertainty, it is not just financial remittances which have stayed strong.  Nepalis abroad are also trying to help their country cope with the crisis. The Non-resident Nepali Association (NRNA) in Oman is set to send 600 oxygen cylinders on Saturday to the Ministry of Health.  “During the first wave, things were chaotic both here and in Nepal. In close coordination with the Nepal Embassy here, we were engaged in helping stranded Nepalis,” says Suresh Khadka, Vice President of the NRN Social Club Oman. “This time, given the situation, we are sending oxygen cylinders which seemed a lot more impactful than money.”  Nepal’s Ambassador to Oman Sharmila Parajuli Dhakal has arranged for a flight to take the cylinders on 15 May.  She says, “The situation is so bad in Nepal that every bit of support helps. I encouraged the Nepali community here to come together and their biggest challenge was logistics. We have arranged a flight to take the cylinders to Kathmandu. Even if we manage to save one life, it will be well worth it.”

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131116/636ceb859c7e80680e09ad0djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1088" height="579"/>It may sound incongruous writing about labour and employment when<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/the-covid-tsunami/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Covid-19 is surging across the country</a>.But since Saturday is May Day, let us look at labour and migration. The unmet need to generate enough jobs for the 500,000 young Nepalis who enter the labour market every year, and the state’s responsibility in facilitating safe and affordable migration for those who want to work abroad.The Constitution says: ‘The State shall pursue a policy of ensuring the right to work of the labor force, which remains as the major social and economic strength of the country, by providing them with employment and raising their participation in the management of enterprises, while at the same time protecting their rights and interests.’<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110131116/636ceb879c7e80680e09ad0ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="235">Employment and migration are <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/labour-mobility/crossborder-virus-and-nepali-migrant-workers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">directly linked to the pandemic</a>, and as parts of the country go back into lockdown again, we have seen that the crisis will continue to have a direct impact on jobs, earnings and remittances in coming years.The state has the unenviable task of balancing lives with livelihoods. Compared to the first wave, this one is a tsunami, and we witness in India the kind of havoc it can wreak. For the poorest Nepalis without savings and social safety nets, the pandemic is as much an economic crisis as a health emergency.Even pre-pandemic, the lives of millions of Nepalis was precarious given the uncertainties of daily wages, and the inadequacy of subsistence agriculture.This is where the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/missing-the-plot-in-nepals-job-scheme/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prime Minister’s Employment Program</a> (PMEP) that was launched with much fanfare in February 2019 held much promise. It planned a nationwide social protection program aimed at the poorest and jobless, guaranteeing them 100 days of employment annually. Those who registered but did not get jobs were to be provided unemployment allowance for 50 days a year.Last year’s budget promised jobs for 200,000 most vulnerable Nepalis affected by the lockdowns under this scheme.As we report, the outcome is discouraging: of the 750,000 who registered as jobless, only a little over 10% got jobs—not for 100 days, but an average of 11.The lesson is clear: local governments need to be empowered for decision-making and well-resourced and coordinate seamlessly with the federal government. Not learning this will lead to endemic complacency.Everyone agrees that the PMEP is a great idea. But as usual, the proof of the pudding in Nepal is always in the eating. Proper implementation could have helped the poorest Nepalis during this crisis. It is a missed opportunity.The PMEP was designed as a safety net for the poorest. During the Covid-19 crisis it is even more important to provide jobs for  families who need the income the most.A highly informal workforce also means a highly disposable workforce without social safety nets. Due to the drop in tourism, transport and retail trade, Nepal’s service sector growth is at an 18 year low. Two out of every five workers lost their jobs with women, the young workers most affected.Internal migration has also been hit by lockdowns, and we are once more seeing an <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/another-kathmandu-exodus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">exodus of Nepalis</a> to their districts. Foreign employment is recovering, but slowly. Nepali workers are fleeing a devastating <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/indias-covid-catastrophe-hits-nepalis-hard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Covid-19 surge in India</a>. The impact will be felt by the poorest Nepalis, especially from western Nepal who opt for seasonal work.The PMEP targets only the most vulnerable segment of the labour market. There are skilled, higher income groups who have also lost jobs.The labour market is under enormous pressure to absorb Nepalis who have been displaced from jobs, who would have migrated, the returnees, and new entrants. Many migrants see their own lifetime as solely that of sacrifice for their children, spending two to three decades in the Gulf just so the generation after them can break out of the cycle they have been stuck in.When parents are not able to work, children’s education suffers, and it is impacted by new school closures. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/online-classes-may-widen-digital-divide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Online education</a> is not an option for the poorest.The upcoming budget, just like last year’s, is sure to include lofty promises about employment priorities. There will again be pledges to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-plans-to-reintegrate-returning-workers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mobilise skills of returnees</a>, even though past reintegration programs never even remotely met targets.A more hopeful and helpful strategy would be to under-promise and over-deliver. That would be the honest way to mark this year’s Labour Day. More work and less talk.

Mayday, Mayday, Mayday

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111136/636b83619c7e80680e067730jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1088" height="579"/>It may sound incongruous writing about labour and employment when<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/the-covid-tsunami/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Covid-19 is surging across the country</a>.But since Saturday is May Day, let us look at labour and migration. The unmet need to generate enough jobs for the 500,000 young Nepalis who enter the labour market every year, and the state’s responsibility in facilitating safe and affordable migration for those who want to work abroad.The Constitution says: ‘The State shall pursue a policy of ensuring the right to work of the labor force, which remains as the major social and economic strength of the country, by providing them with employment and raising their participation in the management of enterprises, while at the same time protecting their rights and interests.’<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111136/636b83639c7e80680e067731jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="235">Employment and migration are <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/labour-mobility/crossborder-virus-and-nepali-migrant-workers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">directly linked to the pandemic</a>, and as parts of the country go back into lockdown again, we have seen that the crisis will continue to have a direct impact on jobs, earnings and remittances in coming years.The state has the unenviable task of balancing lives with livelihoods. Compared to the first wave, this one is a tsunami, and we witness in India the kind of havoc it can wreak. For the poorest Nepalis without savings and social safety nets, the pandemic is as much an economic crisis as a health emergency.Even pre-pandemic, the lives of millions of Nepalis was precarious given the uncertainties of daily wages, and the inadequacy of subsistence agriculture.This is where the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/missing-the-plot-in-nepals-job-scheme/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Prime Minister’s Employment Program</a> (PMEP) that was launched with much fanfare in February 2019 held much promise. It planned a nationwide social protection program aimed at the poorest and jobless, guaranteeing them 100 days of employment annually. Those who registered but did not get jobs were to be provided unemployment allowance for 50 days a year.Last year’s budget promised jobs for 200,000 most vulnerable Nepalis affected by the lockdowns under this scheme.As we report, the outcome is discouraging: of the 750,000 who registered as jobless, only a little over 10% got jobs—not for 100 days, but an average of 11.The lesson is clear: local governments need to be empowered for decision-making and well-resourced and coordinate seamlessly with the federal government. Not learning this will lead to endemic complacency.Everyone agrees that the PMEP is a great idea. But as usual, the proof of the pudding in Nepal is always in the eating. Proper implementation could have helped the poorest Nepalis during this crisis. It is a missed opportunity.The PMEP was designed as a safety net for the poorest. During the Covid-19 crisis it is even more important to provide jobs for  families who need the income the most.A highly informal workforce also means a highly disposable workforce without social safety nets. Due to the drop in tourism, transport and retail trade, Nepal’s service sector growth is at an 18 year low. Two out of every five workers lost their jobs with women, the young workers most affected.Internal migration has also been hit by lockdowns, and we are once more seeing an <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/another-kathmandu-exodus/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">exodus of Nepalis</a> to their districts. Foreign employment is recovering, but slowly. Nepali workers are fleeing a devastating <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/indias-covid-catastrophe-hits-nepalis-hard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Covid-19 surge in India</a>. The impact will be felt by the poorest Nepalis, especially from western Nepal who opt for seasonal work.The PMEP targets only the most vulnerable segment of the labour market. There are skilled, higher income groups who have also lost jobs.The labour market is under enormous pressure to absorb Nepalis who have been displaced from jobs, who would have migrated, the returnees, and new entrants. Many migrants see their own lifetime as solely that of sacrifice for their children, spending two to three decades in the Gulf just so the generation after them can break out of the cycle they have been stuck in.When parents are not able to work, children’s education suffers, and it is impacted by new school closures. <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/online-classes-may-widen-digital-divide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Online education</a> is not an option for the poorest.The upcoming budget, just like last year’s, is sure to include lofty promises about employment priorities. There will again be pledges to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-plans-to-reintegrate-returning-workers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mobilise skills of returnees</a>, even though past reintegration programs never even remotely met targets.A more hopeful and helpful strategy would be to under-promise and over-deliver. That would be the honest way to mark this year’s Labour Day. More work and less talk.

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121148/636ce5af9c7e80680e096724jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="448"/><figcaption>DoFE sting team after a successful raid in Dhumbarahi. December 22, 2020.</figcaption></figure>The Nepal government transfers civil servants regularly, sometimes as routine rotation, but also because of unmet vested interests. The heads of the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE),  which is the regulatory arm of the Labor Ministry, have recently seen short tenures. With its inter-governmental aspect, and the interests of migrant workers and private sector, overseas labour demands a steep learning curve. But once heads of the DoFe get a grasp of the issues they are transferred. Momentum is lost. Priorities change. Unfinished businesses remain unfinished. Relationships and trust need to be re-established. Progress is delayed. The Director General (DG) of DoFE, Kumar Dahal (pictured below) was recently transferred and spoke to Upasana Khadka at Nepali Times about his 14-month tenure, the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/labour-recruiter-netted-in-sting-raid/">sting operations</a> of ‘manpower’ agencies last year that he helped organise which led to the suspension of the licenses of four recruiters found illegally interviewing and charging workers exorbitant fees for jobs in the Qatar Police. This suspension was quickly revoked by Labour Minister Gauri Shankar Chaudhary. Excerpts of interview:Nepali Times: Your transfer was a bit abrupt? Kumar Dahal: Look, rotation are part of the bureaucratic process, especially at the senior level. My 14-month tenure is actually considered quite long. The foreign employment sector has many stakeholders with varied interests, which don’t always align. Unwillingness to engage or cooperate in certain activities can make rotations more likely.Having said that, it would be better if people doing good work are allowed to continue for at least two years to achieve tangible results. Change is not easy in a sector where malpractice like overcharging workers or buying visas are entrenched.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110121148/636ce5b39c7e80680e096725jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="639">Earlier they were isolated events, but soon they became habit and now, they have become a<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/why-has-zero-cost-migration-not-happened/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> part of the culture</a>. Our regulatory oversight has been insufficient and the situation has deteriorated over the decades. Even migrants are convinced that paying hefty fees and high interest rates are part of the recruitment culture and they comply, often questioning it only when it is too late. The players are able to make easy money without much effort, time or investment, exploiting the desperation of our youth. Changing this will take time. It depends on bold, visionary leadership, which is lacking.As a regulatory agency DoFe has to adopt restrictive policies, but you don’t want to deprive migrants of lucrative overseas opportunities. How do you balance the two?The category of migrants we are dealing with need help navigating the system. They are vulnerable to cheating, so regulations are needed. We first need to accept that most <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/kleptocrats-of-kathmandu-and-kualalampur/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">problems faced by migrants begin in Nepal</a> and sometimes, even problems abroad are byproducts of activities here. Every time we received a tip-off from migrants regarding possible malpractice, there has always been something illegal going on which made our sting operations successful. Recruiters have to abide by business ethics, but they often don’t, which makes regulation necessary. Ideally, they should be responsible for workers they send abroad, but that often does not happen.The private sector is driving this industry, and our role as regulators would be hands-off and minimal if their work was transparent. But it isn’t. Just a few days ago, our inspection of 45 pre-departure orientation training providers showed that 30 were giving out certificates without training. Then there are other types of problematic migration: via individuals, education consultancies or traffickers, or on wrong visas, such as visit visas.We in government also need to be responsible, which isn’t the case always, either. The question for both the government and the recruiters should be whether the migrant worker is satisfied with the services and protection being afforded. Currently, I am afraid they are not.We can do better with facilitation support. For starters, we can simplify the approval process of job demands in destination countries and explore opportunities in markets like Europe where there is a potential demand for Nepalis. A foreign employment business fund has been set up for welfare tasks, funded by interest from the Rs20 million escrow deposit of each manpower company parked at commercial banks. A guideline is being drawn up jointly by recruiters and the government.What are some of the lessons from the pandemic?First, we need to be more proactive in our decision-making. Even in instances when the governments or employers offered to send migrants desperate to get home at their own expense last year, we did not allow it due to blanket rules about flights.Second, our embassies need to be strengthened significantly to handle grievances better. The staff size at embassies is not proportionate to the numbers of Nepali workers there.Third, our governance system isn’t prepared to handle undocumented workers. The documentation status of migrants does not determine incoming remittances, so we should support all stranded migrants during a crisis.Fourth, recruiters should have been involved more during repatriation.On the bright side, the pandemic forced us to expedite technology adoption. Migrants can now renew labour approvals from anywhere in the world, and we have also started recording data on returnees.Read Also<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepali-workers-overseas-toil-through-the-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepali workers overseas toil through the pandemic</a>, Upasana Khadka<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepali-workers-overseas-toil-through-the-pandemic/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Crossborder virus and Nepali migrant workers</a>, Upasana KhadkaWhat was your experience at DoFE with the free-visa-free-ticket policy?<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/zero-sum-game-in-zero-cost-migration/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Free-visa-free-ticket</a> is a populist policy implemented without considering the migration ecosystem. It isn’t being implemented and we don’t have the capacity to do so in today’s context. This has also larger implications like the government losing a high amount of tax revenue and workers not having the receipt of actual payment made.Revising the cap on services from Rs 10,000 to first month’s salary as demanded by recruiters is reasonable in cases where employers are not providing service fees--provided the penalty for overcharging workers is increased. This reform will also be meaningless if diplomatic efforts are not ramped up to get governments of destination countries and employers on board. I have heard anecdotes of Nepali recruiters paying Rs250,000 to bag jobs that pay only Rs50,000. Our recruiters do not have direct access to employers but operate through agents abroad. Most employers or foreign agents are also not ethical, so the costs trickle down to workers.We have not been able to get into the crux of the issue and some policies are merely populist. Sting operations are insufficient. The number of recruiting agencies in Nepal at 853 is too high. Incentives to facilitate mergers or regulations to drive out the bad apples are needed so that monitoring is easier. For that we need a strong governance system and bold leadership free of manipulation, political interference and corruption.And the ban on overseas household workers?The domestic work sector is problematic, especially in West Asia. Those in Japan, Cyprus and Turkey are not facing such systemic problems. It is not just Nepal that implements the ban which signals that there are problems in this sector. I get desperate calls from domestic workers in transit in Sri Lanka, Oman, Jordan and Saudi Arabia pleading for rescue support. I am not in favor of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/lift-the-ban-on-female-domestic-workers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">lifting the ban</a> completely but to have approaches specific for each country, especially domestic worker-specific bilateral labour agreements with countries that also have in place strong domestic worker specific regulations. A key criteria is that embassies and families should be able to reach domestic workers when necessary.What are three of your priorities that you hope your successor will continue?The way to minimise corruption is via faceless service so recruiters and bureaucrats do not have to meet in person. We are almost there with the current online system. The remaining kinks need to be immediately ironed out so everything can be done digitally. Eventually, we also need to go to a one-door system, so migrants don’t have to go to different offices for migration-related services.There is a high demand for workers in Europe but we don’t have active diplomatic presence in many European countries and demand attestation, market exploration, worker protection etc become a problem. Otherwise we either lose opportunities, or migrants take circuitous routes with high recruitment costs.Finally, we lack understanding on the skills profile of our youth or a systematic way to monitor labour opportunities abroad. What skills or training do they have, what is needed abroad?Overall, we have a robust foreign employment management architecture with <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/a-few-good-agents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dedicated agencies</a> and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-plans-to-reintegrate-returning-workers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">policies</a> which is something to be optimistic about. Our singular focus should be on its implementation.Read Also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/commercially-important-people/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Commercially important people</a>, Editorial

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