Today is December 18, i.e. International Migrants Day. Today, International Migrants Day is being celebrated around the world to commemorate the day the United Nations passed the Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families on 18 December 1990.
At the call of the United Nations, this day is being celebrated around the world to raise awareness about the challenges and opportunities of migrants and to recognize the contribution of migrants around the world. With reference to the day, week-long programs have been organized in Nepal with the slogan 'Employment with information and skills as the basis of safe immigration', with the participation of the government, non-government, private sector, trade unions, civil society and migrant workers and their families.
Currently, immigration has become an integral dimension of society. Poverty, war, internal conflict and insecurity, effects of climate change, search for work and employment, globalization and the rapid development of information and communication technology have been considered as various reasons for this.
According to the World Migration Report, 2024 published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), about 28.1 million people are migrants worldwide. Out of which the number of migrant workers is 16.9 million.
Foreign employment has contributed greatly to making Nepal's economy dynamic. The government's policy is to make the labor force, which is the backbone of the economy, productive and competitive, and provide maximum capital, technology, skills and experience gained through foreign employment.
In the policy and program of the financial year 2081/82, it is mentioned that to make foreign employment safe and dignified, amendments to foreign employment-related laws, ensuring employment with skills, free orientation training will be conducted.
In addition to reviewing labor contracts, labor agreements, labor agreements and understandings with destination countries, encourage citizens who want to work abroad to open a free bank account and bring remittances to the country through the same account and implement 'return'. Entrepreneurship program has been introduced.
In the financial year 2080-81 compared to the last financial year, the remittance inflow increased by 16.5 percent and Rs.Statistics of Rashtra Bank show that Rs. 14 trillion 45 billion 32 million have entered Nepal.In the fiscal year 2080-81, a total of 741,297 workers, including 80,172 women, took labor permits (including re-labor permits) from the Foreign Employment Department.
According to the World Bank's October, 2024 report, the share of GDP is one quarter.The remittances sent by those workers have helped the migrant workers' households, improve the human assets index and reduce the economic risk of families in poverty and greatly help Nepal's economy.Program,
Social Security Labor Secretary Mukunda Prasad Niraula said that this day will be celebrated with grandeur for the purpose of increasing awareness among stakeholders for safe foreign programs Stating that the government is constantly striving to make labor migration safe, dignified and orderly, he said that priority has been given to the protection of workers' rights, skill development and rehabilitation programs for returning workers.
He said that Nepal has been playing an important and leading role in the implementation of bilateral labor agreements, revision of labor laws, active participation in international labor related groups, and the implementation of programs from pre-departure to rehabilitation.Secretary Niraula expressed his commitment to cooperate and coordinate with the destination country to ensure the rights and interests of workers and dignified migration.