December 23: Citizens of Nepal have been forced to seek overseas job despite the risk of coronavirus because of lack of employment opportunities in the domestic market.

The government had announced that it would provide employment to Nepali migrant workers who had returned home  after losing their jobs abroad. However, the government has not been able to create employment opportunities as per its commitment. This has forced the workers to return back to their foreign jobs amid high risk of coronavirus infection.

In the first four months of the current fiscal year, altogether 45,182 Nepali nationals left the country for foreign employment. Among them, 25,931 had applied for renewal of their labour permit. The remaining 19,251 aspiring workers had applied for new permits, according to data provided by Nepal Rastra Bank.

Spokesperson of the Department of Foreign Employment Tika Ram Neupane says that the workers were forced to go abroad due to the failure of the government to bring any new employment programme.

“The government had assured the Nepali migrant workers who had lost their jobs abroad about providing employment in Nepal itself. However, there wasn’t any progress in this issue,” said Neupane, adding, “Therefore, the Nepali workers were forced to travel abroad even in such difficult circumstances.”

Neupane added that the country is currently in crisis due to political instability. In such condition, there is no possibility of new programmes to be announced by the government, says Neupane.

“Therefore, most of the youths are forced to go abroad. This is the latest trend,” he added.

The number of people leaving the country this year is less compared to that of the corresponding period of last fiscal year. However, the Department of Foreign Employment taken exception to this fact considering the risk posed by coronavirus.

A total of 160,570 Nepalis had left for overseas jobs in the first four months of the last fiscal year.