Source: CCTV.com

01-18-2007 18:22

In Nepal, migrants are having to look further and further a field to earn a living, even if that means leaving their families behind to work abroad. Foreign employment agencies offer opportunities and higher wages. But it's not always so easy. In today's Working Asia Series, Nav Raj Pokharel, from Nepal Television, takes a look at some of the problems Nepalese face when they travel abroad to work.

For some, Nepal's migrant workers could be considered lucky to get the chance to work abroad and earn decent wages. In tomorrow's Working Asia series report, we take a look at the Palestinians struggling to make a living in Lebanon.

Not only the life style but also the social status of this Magar family has improved, after his sons went to Malaysia for work.

Now he has a cement home to live in which is a symbol of social status in the country.

Bir Bahadur Magar

Bir Bahadur Magar said “I can’t go anywhere. But both of my sons are working in foreign country. I have made this home with the money they sent. Now it’s OK.”

Seeing the opportunities across the ocean, neighbour Krishna Maharjan had also gone to Brunei to work.

But he was unlucky. He was not happy with what he had there. So he returned back home. "Cheating starts from here. Take my example,… here, I was said I would get round 800 but there I was paid only 600. The agencies here exaggerate to motivate us.” He said.

Krishna Maharjan

Ministry of Labour estimates that 350 young men and women leave the country daily to work aboard and there are some 450 foreign employment agencies working in Nepal.

In this crowed people are looking for their names in the list.

Young men and women here chance their arms to go to south Korea to work if they got selected.

Last year Korea had demanded for 1500 semi- skilled labour from Nepal.

On the other hand, foreign employment has now become one of the major sources of remittance coming in the country.

The government has opened 102 countries for foreign employment.

Government counts on many positives aspects of foreign employment.

Dr. Shankar Sharma, vice chairman of National Planning Commission, said "It has two distinct advantages present. First of all, Nepal being a poor country, the income coming from remittances from other countries has been quite substantial. It has helped reduce the poverty in the country. That is number one. Not only poverty, I think, even unemployment in the country. Number two, I think they learn something in those countries when they migrate, go and work in other countries. They learn a number of things. They gain technical skills. When they come back, I think, they can use those technical skills for the employment, investment and living basically."

But the independent expert disagree with the notion.

Dr. Kanhaiya Bhakta of Tribu-Uvan University said "When we talk of negative impact of migration, two things immediately comes, come to our minds. One is flight of capital, the other is brain drain. When we say flight of capital, it means investment that we make to prepare the particular person as a skilled personnel will be lost. While on the other hand, you know that there is flight of capital. Our investment will be lost, will be gone somewhere else. So brain drain is the most important negative impact of this migration."

Whatever the explanations, it seems the nation has been unable to employ the young people in the country. To leave the country is not their yearning but a compulsion. Nav Raj Pokharel, Nepal Television, in co production with ABU and ILO.

 

Editor:Du Xiaodan