Kesh B Malla and Jeevan Karki
OCT 26 - Labour migration in Nepal has been a historical phenomenon since time immemorial. Migration to neighbouring India has a longstanding history, and movement to the Gulf commenced about 20 years ago. Due to poverty, unemployment, declining natural resources and displacement by natural disasters and war (e.g., the Maoist insurgency), labour out-migration has become an increasingly significant and major livelihood strategy in Nepal. The remittances sent home by the labour migrants contribute 20 percent to the GDP. Most importantly, the money sent back reach the poorest of the poor directly. A recent Human Development Report of UNDP has also noted that remittances have played a key role in improving Nepal’s Human Development Index (HDI) even during the insurgency.
Despite being a pillar of Nepal’s economy, the migrants have to endure much humiliation and face lots of hurdles and difficulties both at home and abroad. At home, the labour migration process itself is a big headache and source of irritation, thanks to a number of fraudulent cases perpetrated by manpower agents. Potential migrants have to wait for almost a year just to fly out even after having paid the said amount, which is often very high and has been borrowed from the village landlords or moneylenders at a high rate of interest.
“I just want to fly. I would at least have the experience of flying,” a migrant worker, frustrated and fed up by the time consuming pre-departure process, said with angst. Similarly, migrant workers are not given adequate or actual pre-departure information about the nature of the job, the salary and benefits they would be receiving, the money transaction procedure and the customs, culture, law and so forth of the host country.
Upon reaching the employment destination, the workers may face a series of troubles right from the clash of expectations versus the reality. Their physical and mental health worsens due to poor living conditions, filthy prison-like camps and the pressure to repay the loan at home. Needless to mention that there is a high health and safety risk at the workplace. On the other hand, there is no or limited health facility at work; and treatment at desired hospitals at one’s own expense is very pricey, often unaffordable.
Likewise, migrant workers become “bonded labour” in most cases, as their passport is held by the employer, which is contrary to the country’s own labour legislation. If the workers are found to be involved in any kind of objectionable act, they are immediately deported to their home countries without being given a single chance to defend themselves. Moreover, some workers are paid much less than they have been promised by agents in Nepal; and they do not return home for years because they have nothing to bring back except their memories of pain, despair and tears. Women face more problems than men in the Gulf due to their illegal or unofficial out-migration, which makes it difficult for them to seek help from the Nepali authorities in times of trouble.
The heroes of the Nepali economy deserve better treatment and respect, at least in their country if not in the host countries. To make the labour migration process easier, the government should give it a re-look and make it safer and more economic. The government should also work to impart vocational training programmes so that Nepali migrant workers will no longer be treated as slaves to build monuments as Ghaith Abdul-Ahad has written in an article entitled “We need slaves to build monuments” published in The Guardian of Oct. 8, 2008.
On the international front, the Nepal government can send a good message by signing and ratifying the UN Migrant Workers Convention, which may pave the way for the protection of migrant workers’ rights abroad. The Nepal government’s recent decision to post labour attachés in four countries with heavy Nepali populations is a praiseworthy act. More such labour attachés should immediately be appointed to other countries as mentioned in the Foreign Employment Act 2064 which requires that a labour attaché be appointed in countries having more than 5,000 Nepali migrants.
Also, there is a need and opportunity for Non-Resident Nepali Associations to work together with Nepali embassies and other organizations as they have vowed at their recently held global conference in Kathmandu. It is appreciative that the Nepali media in recent times has been giving a good amount of attention to foreign employment issues. However, there is still room for I/NGOs to work on labour migration issues that may include raising awareness about foreign employment, skill development and remittance management through entrepreneurship development to ensure sustainable livelihoods for the families of rural migrants. Lastly, the government, civil society and other concerned authorities must work hand in hand to make labour migration more effective and safeguard the workers’ rights in and outside the country.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
People on the move
Jeevan Karki and Kesh B Malla
DEC 12, TKP - International labour migration from Nepal has a longstanding history, and it has become a growing phenomenon in recent years. Migration to the Gulf is a relatively new trend which commenced about two decades ago. The exodus to India, however, goes back a long way. The movement to India where a large population of Nepali migrant workers resides is undocumented due to the open border between the two countries. Migration to foreign countries is growing faster than before whatever could be the cause — political instability, conflict, natural disasters, unemployment or poverty. About 80-90 percent of the households in the Far Western Development Region have at least one male member residing outside the country, mostly in India, as a migrant worker.
The labour migration, which has also played a key role in improving Nepal’s human development index (HDI), is an increasingly important livelihood strategy of the country. Despite the fact that the remittance sent home by Nepali labour migrants has improved the living standards of their families and contributed to the national economy (about 20 percent of GDP), HIV/AIDS has become a key and crucial issue.
According to studies, high rates of HIV are found among migrant workers. In Nepal, over 70,000 adults (15-49 years of age) are estimated to be living with the HIV virus. Labour migrants make up about 40 percent of the total known HIV infections followed by clients of sex workers and injecting drug users. Nepali migrant workers, especially in the Far Western Development Region, returned from India have a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. Since the disease has spread to various places of Nepal through returnees from cities in India, particularly Bombay (now Mumbai), the disease is also called “Bombaiya rog” in some districts. The disease has already impacted the hundreds of migrant workers and their families. Therefore, labour migration that is being considered a boon to the national economy and poverty reduction could turn into a bane in terms of its long-term economic implications for the country.
As most of the migrant workers are illiterate and unaware of HIV/AIDS, the disease is spreading fast through this group. Many migrant men workers visit brothels during their stay abroad, and having multiple sex partners and lack of condom use puts them at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. A large proportion of migrant men workers who purchase sex are also married. They carry HIV back to their homes and transmit it to their innocent wives in the village. In west Nepal, HIV and AIDS, mostly spread through migration, has already become a big challenge to the development of the region.
There are multiple consequences when a migrant worker gets infected with HIV and AIDS. First, there is a very high probability that he will infect his wife. The rising figure of HIV-infected housewives in far west Nepal justifies this notion. The infected migrant worker’s family faces a financial crisis as he is sent back with little compensation or no consideration as soon as he is found to be HIV positive. On the other hand, expenditure on treatment increases significantly. People living with HIV and AIDS (PLHA) are being discriminated against and stigmatised severely in society. Not only him, his wife and children are also treated in the same way.
The consequences of AIDS spreading among the migrants will be much bigger than imagined, much higher than the income being made. Therefore, it is high time that a strong initiative is launched to prevent HIV and AIDS among migrant workers. Effective migrant-focused intervention is necessary with a special emphasis on the Far Western Region. Labour migrants should have access to information, education and communication materials regularly and easily.
In high out-migration districts, a mechanism may be developed at the village development committees (VDCs) to give information on HIV and AIDS before the jobseekers leave home and after their return. The district development committee, the VDCs and I/NGOs can collaborate in this endeavour. Programmes must go beyond targeting migrant men at their places of origin within Nepal. Therefore, the government of Nepal and I/NGOs should partner with like-minded organisations working with Nepali migrants abroad such as in the cities of India. Men and women need to be made aware of HIV and AIDS, and women need to be further empowered.
Thanks are due to a number of I/NGOs and government bodies that have been actively and consciously involved in raising awareness in the communities, providing treatment to PLHAs and helping the affected families. Nevertheless, they should extend their target geographical area to serve a larger population. And a long-term commitment is required from the I/NGO sector. Since labour migration is required to boost economic activities, a practical and strong strategy must be prepared to generate awareness among these workers. The country should also care for the migrant workers, not only their remittance!
DEC 12, TKP - International labour migration from Nepal has a longstanding history, and it has become a growing phenomenon in recent years. Migration to the Gulf is a relatively new trend which commenced about two decades ago. The exodus to India, however, goes back a long way. The movement to India where a large population of Nepali migrant workers resides is undocumented due to the open border between the two countries. Migration to foreign countries is growing faster than before whatever could be the cause — political instability, conflict, natural disasters, unemployment or poverty. About 80-90 percent of the households in the Far Western Development Region have at least one male member residing outside the country, mostly in India, as a migrant worker.
The labour migration, which has also played a key role in improving Nepal’s human development index (HDI), is an increasingly important livelihood strategy of the country. Despite the fact that the remittance sent home by Nepali labour migrants has improved the living standards of their families and contributed to the national economy (about 20 percent of GDP), HIV/AIDS has become a key and crucial issue.
According to studies, high rates of HIV are found among migrant workers. In Nepal, over 70,000 adults (15-49 years of age) are estimated to be living with the HIV virus. Labour migrants make up about 40 percent of the total known HIV infections followed by clients of sex workers and injecting drug users. Nepali migrant workers, especially in the Far Western Development Region, returned from India have a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. Since the disease has spread to various places of Nepal through returnees from cities in India, particularly Bombay (now Mumbai), the disease is also called “Bombaiya rog” in some districts. The disease has already impacted the hundreds of migrant workers and their families. Therefore, labour migration that is being considered a boon to the national economy and poverty reduction could turn into a bane in terms of its long-term economic implications for the country.
As most of the migrant workers are illiterate and unaware of HIV/AIDS, the disease is spreading fast through this group. Many migrant men workers visit brothels during their stay abroad, and having multiple sex partners and lack of condom use puts them at risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and HIV. A large proportion of migrant men workers who purchase sex are also married. They carry HIV back to their homes and transmit it to their innocent wives in the village. In west Nepal, HIV and AIDS, mostly spread through migration, has already become a big challenge to the development of the region.
There are multiple consequences when a migrant worker gets infected with HIV and AIDS. First, there is a very high probability that he will infect his wife. The rising figure of HIV-infected housewives in far west Nepal justifies this notion. The infected migrant worker’s family faces a financial crisis as he is sent back with little compensation or no consideration as soon as he is found to be HIV positive. On the other hand, expenditure on treatment increases significantly. People living with HIV and AIDS (PLHA) are being discriminated against and stigmatised severely in society. Not only him, his wife and children are also treated in the same way.
The consequences of AIDS spreading among the migrants will be much bigger than imagined, much higher than the income being made. Therefore, it is high time that a strong initiative is launched to prevent HIV and AIDS among migrant workers. Effective migrant-focused intervention is necessary with a special emphasis on the Far Western Region. Labour migrants should have access to information, education and communication materials regularly and easily.
In high out-migration districts, a mechanism may be developed at the village development committees (VDCs) to give information on HIV and AIDS before the jobseekers leave home and after their return. The district development committee, the VDCs and I/NGOs can collaborate in this endeavour. Programmes must go beyond targeting migrant men at their places of origin within Nepal. Therefore, the government of Nepal and I/NGOs should partner with like-minded organisations working with Nepali migrants abroad such as in the cities of India. Men and women need to be made aware of HIV and AIDS, and women need to be further empowered.
Thanks are due to a number of I/NGOs and government bodies that have been actively and consciously involved in raising awareness in the communities, providing treatment to PLHAs and helping the affected families. Nevertheless, they should extend their target geographical area to serve a larger population. And a long-term commitment is required from the I/NGO sector. Since labour migration is required to boost economic activities, a practical and strong strategy must be prepared to generate awareness among these workers. The country should also care for the migrant workers, not only their remittance!
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