Protecting the wellbeing of Nepalese migrant workers: the nature and extent of interventions by the government of Nepal

Abstract

Host and source countries alike are directly responsible for protecting and promoting the wellbeing of migrant workers. This article appreciates this important feature of international labour migration with particular reference to legislative, policy and administrative responses of the government of Nepal – as a source country of migrant workers hosted by some East Asian and Gulf Cooperation Council countries. It addresses the government’s responses in terms of selected types and means of intervention detailed in an analysis by Hamada (2012). The discussion reveals that, while the government has adopted relevant legislation and policies, it has clearly lacked the requisite implementation commitment, resources and capacity. A significant consequence is that the living and labour conditions of many Nepalese migrant workers are not protected as directly and effectively as they certainly deserve to be.