SOCIO-ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS OF FOREIGN LABOUR MIGRATION IN AGRARIAN SOCIETIES OF NEPAL

Abstract

Socio-cultural, economic, political, and environmental factors play a crucial role in migration. The phenomenon of foreign labor migration has been shaped by a variety of factors including different dimensions of sustainable livelihood that push people to seek better opportunities. The main objective of this research was to assess the socioeconomic determinants of foreign labor migration in the agrarian community of the Sindhuli district of Nepal using a simple random sample technique. Accordingly, a quantitative interview protocol was employed along with the use of key informants’ interviews to collect pertinent information in the year 2021. Findings revealed that determining factors responsible for foreign labor migration were primarily low individual income (with a score of 0.72), followed by a lack of employment opportunities (0.66); poor economic conditions (0.57); limited access to social protection (0.42), and child education (0.36). Additionally, other factors that contributed to the migration included social prestige, desire for property accumulation, peer pressure, the decline in agricultural production, lack of education, inability to pay loans, and food insecurity. The finding of this research thus suggests the need to consider these core facts while developing strategies to manage migration so as to impact positive implications in the agrarian context of Nepal.