At Journey’s End: (Re)thinking Reintegration of Nepali Labor Migrants
Migration is often referred to as the world's most extensive antipoverty program, a homegrown version of foreign aid, as Jason De Parle, the author of "A Good Provider Is One Who Leaves," astutely points out.
In Nepal, labor migration has been a longstanding tradition. But it was not until the 1990s that large-scale migration, particularly to the Gulf countries and Malaysia, took hold, spurred by factors such as political instability, armed conflict, and limited domestic job opportunities. Over the past three decades, many Nepalis, particularly the youth, have labored in far flung regions of the world, driven by the hope of securing a better future for themselves and their families. In the process, they have kept our economy afloat through some of our history's most perilous times. As these industrious expatriates gradually decide to come back, weary from years of grueling work or having simply aged, it would be reasonable to expect the Nepali state to be prepared to welcome them back warmly. In reality, however, the state's approach has been disappointingly scant.
What Current Approaches Lack
Nepal has a number of policies that address the issue of reintegration. For example, last year, the government issued a directive that encouraged the engagement of migrant workers in entrepreneurship programs or their incorporation into the job market based on their skills and abilities. While these are well intentioned policies, they lack clarity of purpose as well as intent. Moreover, they fall short in providing practical guidance for implementation. For example, given that these migrants are often unskilled or semi-skilled, many may find it difficult to engage in entrepreneurship. Also, not all returnees may wish to re-engage in gainful employment upon their return. Consequently, a reintegration strategy concentrated solely on employment may not effectively meet their diverse needs or align with their individual expectations.
Another limitation of these policies is their narrow economic perspective, which neglects the diverse needs of returnees that frequently extend beyond, and sometimes even exclude, financial concerns. Migrants, having endured years of relentless, isolating labor, often return bearing significant psychosocial burdens. Their needs can range from community engagement and recreational opportunities to cultural reorientation as they attempt to re-assimilate into a society that has evolved in their absence. Moreover, some returnees may grapple with serious psychological issues like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder that demand immediate professional help. In addition to psychological burdens, returnees might also grapple with social issues such as past experiences of sexual abuse or societal stigma tied to migrant labor. This underlines the urgent need for a comprehensive and compassionate reintegration strategy.
Perhaps the biggest challenge in all this is that the emphasis on the inflow of remittances often overshadows the importance of putting together a comprehensive reintegration policy. To begin with, the government has benefited from increased labor migration as it has allowed it to avoid accountability for its failures to ensure economic growth. Instead, youth migration in particular, has served as a safety valve, releasing the pressures of domestic unemployment and the political unrest that could manifest. On the other hand, political parties, despite their nationalistic rhetoric around brain drain and their vacuous plans to create local employment opportunities, often contradict themselves as they establish party chapters in migration corridors and rely on political contributions from the diaspora. Even the private sector, from recruitment agencies to banks, has reaped substantial profit from the surge in foreign employment but shows little enthusiasm for their migrant patrons upon their return.
(Re)thinking Reintegration
In this section, I propose two strategies for (re)thinking the reintegration of our Nepali labor migrants.
First, to truly plan for successful reintegration, we must begin by acknowledging that Nepal is a remittance state and that migration will continue to be a key characteristic of our society and economy for the foreseeable future. This recognition, although seemingly obvious, is critical for reducing the ambiguity around what types of migration policies to pursue and for opening up a space to discuss how reintegration can be designed as a key aspect of migration. This latter point is important because successful reintegration hinges not just on actions taken after migrants return, but also on opportunities provided well before the migrant decides to make her journey back home. For example, it is crucial to establish avenues for migrants to invest in Nepal early in their migration journey. Current policies like remittance accounts in banks, allocated IPO quotas for migrant workers, and social security programs serve as good examples. Such initiatives not only maintain migrants' engagement with Nepal's development but also enable them to amass assets they can rely on upon return.
Second, a successful reintegration policy must be empathetic and responsive to migrants' unique needs and aspirations. Reintegration is a complex phenomenon, and individual preferences can vary significantly based on their experiences and expectations. To better grasp this complexity, we should start by surveying migrant workers about their specific needs and aspirations. Surprisingly, this crucial step of directly consulting the returnees often appears to be overlooked. This can also include a systematic categorization of returning migrants based on their expressed desires for how they want to be reintegrated. For instance, those interested in entrepreneurship should receive the requisite training and a supportive ecosystem, including business development resources and access to finance. Those interested in pursuing gainful employment, can benefit from skill development and placement opportunities through close collaboration with the private sector. And for those seeking social support, there must also be equal emphasis placed on building the necessary institutional arrangements to support them.
Let me conclude my write up here today with the hope that this is a starting point for the larger discussion of the need to recognize and to repay these "good providers" for their valuable contributions to Nepal. This should be done by prioritizing their well-being during and after their time abroad. Only by doing so can Nepal truly unlock the full potential of its migrant workforce and pave the way for our prosperous future.
For more information on labor migration in Nepal, please listen to the following episodes of our PODS by PEI podcast:
Rebekah Smith on Unlocking Labor Migration: Examining the Realities of the Policies and Practices
Anurag Devkota on Diaspora Voting: The Missing Citizens in Nepal’s Electoral Process
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