Nepali Migrants Research Articles

Nepali Migrant Workers and Their Occupational Health Hazards in the Workplace: A Scoping Review

An increasing number of people are relocating to search for work, leading to substantial implications for both local and global health. Approximately 3.6% of the global population (281 million) migrates annually. Nepal has experienced a notable surge in labour migration in recent years, with a substantial proportion of its residents actively seeking work opportunities abroad. Understanding work-related risks is crucial for informing policies, interventions, and practices that can improve the welfare of this hard-to-reach population. This scoping review aims to systematically identify and analyse occupational health hazards encountered by Nepali migrant workers employed overseas. Medline, Scopus, Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and the NepJOL databases were systematically searched for primary research papers published in English up to July 2024. Relevant data, including workplace hazards and their impact on health outcomes, were extracted and narratively synthesised by highlighting key themes in the existing literature. A total of 24 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Of these, twelve studies were conducted in Nepal, five in Gulf countries, four in Malaysia, two in Hong Kong, and one each in India and Korea. Workplace injuries (motor vehicle injuries, machinery injuries, falls from a height, and falls on a heavy object), poor working environment (including long working hours, work without leave, discrepancy in pay scale, limited access to drinking water and toilet/bathroom facilities), workplace abuse, sexual abuse, and torture were identified as key occupational health hazards faced by the Nepali migrant workers abroad. Multi-level intervention strategies, such as safety training standards, improving working conditions, and eliminating exploitative labour practices, are critical to improving occupational health and safety standards for Nepali migrant workers abroad. This includes creating a supportive working environment where employees can easily and timely access health services as needed.

Envisioning futures at new destinations: geographical imaginaries and migration aspirations of Nepali migrants moving to Malta

ABSTRACT Imagination is central to migration. Geographical imaginaries, often shaped by historical narratives and mainstream media, allow people to envision futures elsewhere and influence migration aspirations. Using interviews with Nepalis who migrated to Malta in recent years, this article seeks to uncover how people imagine new destinations about which they have limited or no prior knowledge, and how these imaginaries compare to those of established destinations. Through this lens, the article then examines participants’ aspirations to migrate to Malta. The analysis shows how participants contextualised the information they found about Malta by drawing extensively from imaginaries of better-known European destinations, in a mechanism I call spatial imaginary spillover. Participants moved to Malta seeking increased personal freedoms, rights and safety, economic stability and affluence, exploration and social prestige linked to migration to Western destinations. As such, Malta is part of a group of new European destinations for Nepalis that are more accessible than established destinations in the West, and which participants prefer over historical destinations for Nepali workers. This article provides novel insights into how imaginaries of new destinations and other unfamiliar places are produced, and how the lens of geographical imaginaries yields rich perspectives on migration aspirations and destination preferences.

Working Environment and Benefit Differences in Indo-Nepal Labour Migration

The open border between Nepal and India has encouraged people to migrate across the border for better livelihood. People from Sudurpaschim Province are disproportionately attracted to India for four important reasons: close distance, low travel cost, access to jobs and network. Likewise, Indian people from particularly from the border towns of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal States usually come to Nepal searching for employment or better opportunities. The burgeoning migration research in Nepal often ignores migration to India, and there has hardly been any research on Indian migration to Nepal. This paper attempts to make a comparative study of Indo-Nepal migration, focusing on working environment, i.e., work natures, working conditions, and their benefits such as income, and welfare benefits of both migrants’ groups. Bhimdatt Municipality of Kanchanpur District was selected as the study area. A mixed methodology has been adopted for this study. For Quantitative data collection, sample survey was conducted with 650 respondents (370 for Nepali-labour migrants to India and 270 Indian labour-migrants to Nepal). Using ISCO/08, ILO (2012), skills classification framework, this paper shows Nepali migrants works lack technical skills (91% being at basic level, as menial workers) as opposed to the Indian migrants, majority of whom have some technical skills, such as operating machines (54.3% vs. 7.3%). This has reflection on their earning and welfare benefits and condition of work and living. Indian migrants earn an average of NRs. 40635.5 per month, compared to NRs. 19061.6 earned by Nepali migrants. In case of Nepali labour-migrants who work in registered companies, business houses along with mutual agreement for job get allowances, overtime facility, medical insurance however, it is not found in case of Indian labour-migrants working in different technical sectors in Nepal. Policy makers need to work on promoting skills of the migrant workers enabling them to take up better paid jobs at home and migration destinations.

Wage Theft of Nepali Migrant workers in Destination Countries: Grave Violation of Migrants’ Right

Wage theft is the grave violation of human rights and labour law of migrant workers which varies with background characteristics of migrants. Despite the international and national legal and policy provisions, the issue of wage theft has been increasing over time which compounds with the humanitarian crisis. The main objective of this article is to examine the drivers of wage theft of Nepali migrant workers at destination countries. Cross sectional design was used in this study in which 241 Nepali migrants were interviewed who were returned from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, Malaysia and other countries. Of the total respondents majority were from age group 25-29 (26.14%), from Janajati caste (38.17%), married (78.42%) and from Koshi Province (33.20%). The duration of stay, documentation status, status and places of case filing of Nepali migrant workers has the strongest effect on implementation of salary agreement [24 months and above (OR=20.397, CI: 4.345-95.739), undocumented status is significantly lower i.e. (OR=0.278, CI: 0.147-0.526), and the absence of case file (OR=7.362, CI: 3.437-15.768)]. Similarly, the unpaid status of Nepali migrant workers is also significantly associated with duration of stay and caste/ethnicity [6-12 months (OR=16.6333, CI: 2.548-108.589) and Dalit (OR=0.763, CI: 0.202-2.885),]. The level of education and knowledge on minimum salary is also significantly associated with coercive working situations [lower secondary (OR=0.047, CI: 0.012-0.178) and having no knowledge (OR=0.993, CI: 0.509-1.938)]. The study reveal the fact that the prevalence of wage theft among Nepali migrant workers is high among migrant living in longer period of time, migrants with knowledge on minimum salary, illiterate migrants, undocumented, migrants without agreement paper, and low paid migrants. For improving both working situation and full with timely payment, the migrant sending and receiving countries need to adopt proper legal and policy provisions with their effective execution.

Enhancing healthcare access during disasters and emergencies: Recommendations from Nepali migrants in Japan.

Migrants in Japan often face difficulties accessing healthcare due to language barriers, lack of information, shortage of interpreters, amongst other barriers. With an increase in the number of foreigners in Japan, it is also expected that health and safety concerns for migrants will rise during times of crisis or disaster. The purpose of this article is to present recommendations from Nepali migrants themselves about various actions that stakeholders or policymakers could take to improve healthcare access during future disasters, emergencies, or crises in Japan. Recommendations from Nepali migrants in this study include mobilization of Nepali healthcare professionals, self-preparedness, a disaster information centre by the embassy, Nepali hotline services, telehealth services, and mutual help. By working together and leveraging available resources, it is possible to ensure that migrants are not left behind in the face of disasters and emergencies. Further research is required to determine the most effective ways to improve healthcare access for migrants in Japan during disasters, crises, or emergencies.

Undocumented Nepali Migrants to USA: Issues on Border Custody and Detention

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Status of Foreign Labour Migration and Impact of Migrants by COVID - 19 in Nepal

The paper based on the status of labour migration and remittances of Nepal in 2014 to 2022. The aims of this paper are to find out the situation of foreign labour migration in Nepal and to examine the impact of COVID-19 on the Outflow of Nepali Migrants. It is descriptive in nature and entirely based on secondary sources of information. The trends in foreign employment are presented for past eight years, 2009/10-2018/19. Although Nepal labour migration report 2022 and prelimanari report of 2021, this report reiterates those trends along with updated data from the past fiscal year to create a single comprehensive report. According to National Living Standard Survey 2011, 56 percent of Nepali households have at least one member of their family working and living abroad. The remittances sent by these members have helped improve the standard of living of Nepali households. In 2020, the remittances sent by migrant workers covered to 23.5 percent of the Nepal’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Therefore, international labor migration plays a huge role in keeping Nepal’s economy afloat. The decision of the youths to go abroad as labor was a strategy to escape from the potential threat, livelihood options, and get new country experience which ultimately became the major source to bring back remittance. Though low- skilled, foreign labor migration has been the major phenomenon for the country, which is now fully dependent on the remittance economy and counts for over one- fourth of the total national income. Nepal has undertaken several policy measures to overcome these anomalies. Although the implementation aspect is fragile to meet the ground reality, and from the notion of strategic intervention, it is necessary to revisit the policy measures to make foreign labor migration safe, secure, and informed choice based.

Vulnerabilities and risk perceptions of contracting COVID-19 among Nepali migrant workers

Social, economic, and demographic characteristics influence public disaster risk perception, including the risk of COVID-19. Migrant workers are one the most vulnerable groups to disasters. More than four million Nepali migrant workers are employed abroad, and millions are working in cities and towns in the country. This study analyzes how the social, economic, and demographic conditions of returning Nepali migrant workers determine their risk perceptions of COVID-19. An online national survey was administered from May 10 to July 30, 2020, targeting returning Nepali migrant workers nationwide. A total of 782 responses from migrant workers were recorded, covering 67 of 74 districts. Using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression models, the results show that migrant workers in blue-collar jobs, female, older than 29 years, with pre-existing health conditions, from low-income families, and from larger families are more likely to perceive higher risks of COVID-19. The migrant workers who believe in non-pharmaceutical COVID-19 control measures, including awareness campaigns and stay-at-home orders, have higher risk perceptions of the virus than other groups. The research contributes to identifying the program and policy priority areas to address the needs and COVID-19 vulnerabilities of returning Nepali migrant workers during and after the pandemic.

Status of Foreign Labour Migration and Impact of Migrants by COVID-19 in Nepal

The paper based on the status of labour migration and remittances of Nepal in 2014 to 2022. The aims of this paper are to find out the situation of foreign labour migration in Nepal and to examine the impact of COVID[1]19 on the Outflow of Nepali Migrants. It is descriptive in nature and entirely based on secondary sources of information. The trends in foreign employment are presented for past eight years, 2009/10-2018/19. Although Nepal labour migration report 2022 and prelimanari report of 2021, this report reiterates those trends along with updated data from the past fiscal year to create a single comprehensive report. According to National Living Standard Survey 2011, 56 percent of Nepali households have at least one member of their family working and living abroad. The remittances sent by these members have helped improve the standard of living of Nepali households. In 2020, the remittances sent by migrant workers covered to 23.5 percent of the Nepal’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Therefore, international labor migration plays a huge role in keeping Nepal’s economy afloat. The decision of the youths to go abroad as labor was a strategy to escape from the potential threat, livelihood options, and get new country experience which ultimately became the major source to bring back remittance. Though low- skilled, foreign labor migration has been the major phenomenon for the country, which is now fully dependent on the remittance economy and counts for over one- fourth of the total national income. Nepal has undertaken several policy measures to overcome these anomalies. Although the implementation aspect is fragile to meet the ground reality, and from the notion of strategic intervention, it is necessary to revisit the policy measures to make foreign labor migration safe, secure, and informed choice based.

The Psychological, Social, and Economic Impacts of COVID-19 on Nepali Migrant Workers

The global pandemic impacted Asian migrant workers disproportionately. During the first COVID-19 nationwide lockdown, Nepali migrant workers faced many challenges due to widespread misconceptions of them being vectors of COVID-19. This research examines COVID-19 impacts on international and internal Nepali migrant workers. A national survey on the social, economic, and psychological challenges of returning Nepali migrant workers was administered online from 10 May to 20 July 2020. A total of 672 responses were received. Using a binary logistic regression model, the research finds that the domestic migrant workers were less likely to get economic support, expect to borrow money during COVID-19, experience negative changes in their personal lives, and expect the COVID-19 contraction. In contrast, international migrant workers were less likely to return to their pre-pandemic employment. The research exposed long-standing vulnerabilities of migrant workers and identified immediate actions from Nepalese Central, Provincial, and Local governments to address their needs.

The Pandemic in the Himalayan Country: Nepal

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating economic impact globally and Nepal is no exception. Tourism and migration abroad to work— two of the important sectors that have significantly contributed to the Nepali economy — have suffered tremendously in the face of lockdown and other restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, this paper aims to understand how COVID-19 impacted Nepalis while focusing on Nepal’s tourism and migration sector. The paper is based on the review of secondary resources, including newspaper articles available in the public sphere. Data in this paper comes from the period prior to February 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the situation of Nepalis who were recovering from social and economic destruction caused by the global earthquake of 2015. The resulting lockdowns, the closing of land ports and airports, and the limitation of people’s mobility have significantly affected Nepal’s tourism sector. In addition, thousands of Nepali migrants lost their jobs and incomes in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, Malaysia, India, and other destination countries as the pandemic struck the global economy. However, Nepali people appear to remain resilient in the face of yet another disaster.

Impacts of COVID-19 on Wives of Nepali Migrants and Future Foreign Employment Decision-making

With over 55% of households having labour migrants and over 25% of the GDP attributable to migrants’ remittance, migration plays an important role in economic development of Nepal but also in overall wellbeing of the Nepali households. While there have been considerable studies on the impact of migration both from social and economic perspectives, little is known about how migrants and their households make decisions to migrate. Moreover, there is limited research on how crisis in destination countries affect migration decision-making among migrants and their left-behind household members. Taking the example of the current COVID-19 crisis, this article discusses the context within which people are taking migration decisions and how the experiences of crisis affects decision-making about pursuing foreign employment for people who have previous migration experience. This article discusses the experience of migrants’ wives during the pandemic in relation to their husband’s migration, alternative livelihood experience of migrants (returnees, those on a holiday and aspiring migrants) in the home country, impacts of COVID-19 ban on aspiring migrants, and aspiring migrants and their wives’ perspectives towards future foreign employment. The article argues that given a high interest amongst the returnees and their spouses to work in Nepal, current employment programmes brought forward by the government should take the opportunity as a way of retaining the human resources in Nepal.

Stuck between the Global North and South: Middling migrants in Australia and Singapore

The literature on ‘middling transnationals’ is growing, although studies on Asian middling migrants are still relatively lacking. Current understandings of middling migrants are also frequently fixed on migrants’ mid-level skills and their middle-class status. Drawing on interviews with Nepali migrants living in Melbourne, Australia and mainland Chinese migrants living in Singapore respectively, this article considers how their middling visa status and imaginaries interact with anxious desires. The article argues, first, that migrants from the Global South experience heightened anxious desires due to imaginaries oscillating between the Global North and South. Second, and relatedly, the article argues that migration regimes keep migrants compliant through managing their anxious desires. By detailing the experiences of different groups of Asian migrants in separate migration regimes, the article aims to highlight the heterogeneous experiences among migrants originating from the Global South, and the techniques used by different states to produce temporary and compliant migrants.

Impact of Emigration in Dakshinkali Municipality

Migration refers to the process of movement from one place to another, such as crossing intra or international geographical boundaries. Sociological studies of migration are diverse. The motive for migration includes political, economic, social, and environmental cause. It is a known fact that Nepali migrants are scattered around the world and many of them are in Gulf country, followed by America and Japan. This micro level study to Dakshinkali Municipality Kathmandu District. The main objectives of this study are to study the causes of migration and its socio-economic impact of the foreign employment in the study area. The total of 71 respondents was surveyed during household questionnaire survey and altogether 6 key informants were interviewed. The trend of abroad migration for foreign employment and higher education has been increasing. Among the total 71 respondents, male migrants are maximum than the female migrants with the age group of 24-29 and 30-34. The majority of people were dependent on agriculture. Despite being farmer, most of them go to the abroad for foreign employment to maintain their living standards. Remittance was mostly used for education, pay debt and other daily accommodations and only few of them invest in land and small business. High rate of wage was the main push and pull factor. In recent years, the migration has been increasing due to increased unemployment and political conflict

Use of telehealth services among Nepali living overseas during Covid-19 pandemic: The opportunities, limitations, lessons learned and recommendations

There are estimated over 8 million Nepali migrants spread across various countries around the globe. Though the majority of them enjoy good health in general, a large proportion of them suffer from non-communicable diseases, mental health issues and communicable diseases. Telemedicine services, which are organized by Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), have been proven to be effective in addressing some of the health and medical needs of the migrant Nepali workers. The purpose of this study is to assess the use of tele-health services among Nepali migrant population and examine the limitations. During the pandemic period from March 2020 through August 2021, Nepali in different countries utilized telehealth services. Mental health issues, chronic diseases, skin diseases were the most common ailments people sought telehealth services for. Many of them sought for urgent medical consultations related to Covid-19 symptoms and ailments. Digital gap, lack of cross-border regulations and unwillingness to utilize telemedicine were the challenges the service faced in the optimal utilization of such services. Training and education, use of easy Apps and subsidies from the government would help in the long-term use and sustainability of telehealth services amongst the Nepali migrants.

Do macroeconomic fluctuations at destination matter in determining migrants’ return decisions?

• Relationship between macroeconomic fluctuations at destination and return migration is explored. • Positive growth at destination relative to home is associated with higher probability of return among Nepali migrants. • Magnitudes of the correlations make an inverse-U-shape across the foreign earnings distribution. • Nepali migrants’ return responses during the global financial crisis are more cautious than in general. Although a significant portion of migration is temporary, comprehension of factors at destination that can shorten or extend migrants’ stays abroad is still limited. One such unexplored factor is the macroeconomic fluctuation at the destination. Are migrants’ return functions of macroeconomic fluctuations at the destination countries? The question is explored empirically using the variation in Gross Domestic Product per capita growth rates between 2000 and 2009 in the multitude of destinations that Nepali migrants work. Return of Nepali migrants increases as the economy at the destination expands relative to that at home. Additionally, the magnitude and timing of the response vary respectively across foreign earning distribution and contexts.

Bombay Going: Nepali Migrant Sex Workers in an Anti-Trafficking Era, by Susanne Åsman

Bombay Going: Nepali Migrant Sex Workers in an Anti-Trafficking Era, by Susanne Åsman

Alcohol Consumption Practices Among Nepali Migrant Workers in Shah Alam, Selangor

Malaysia has been considered an industrialized country and there is a demand for manpower in low-skilled jobs which usually filled by migrant workers. Therefore, this study focused to identify the level of alcohol consumption and its associated factors particularly among Nepali migrant workers in Shah Alam, Selangor. A cross-sectional study using a convenient sampling method was conducted among 233 Nepali migrant workers in Shah Alam, Selangor using a self-administered questionnaire. A validated scoring system by DASS 21 and The Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test was employed. The results show that 60.09% of Nepali workers consumed alcohol with most of them are in low (31.43%) and medium (29.28%) risk level for alcohol consumption. The empirical findings reveal a significant association between income, education level, and peer pressure (p value<.001 respectively) with alcohol consumption. However, the study found no association between age, marital status, years of working, and body mass index (p value= 0.44, 0.19, 0.42, 0.40 respectively) with alcohol consumption. In a conclusion, most Nepali migrant workers consume alcohol but in low and medium risk severity for alcohol consumption. The results highlight sociodemographic factors such as income and education as well as peer pressure among important factors affecting alcohol consumption.

Diasporic Consciousness in Bharati Gautam’s Vigata Ra Baduli

This article aims to explore the diasporic consciousness reflected through Bharati Gautam’s collection of memoirs Vigata Ra Baduli [Past and Hiccups]. As an American Nepali diasporic writer, Gautam has given expression to her experiences in the book. Spending about three and half decades as a diasporan, the writer’s consciousness is different from that of the common Nepali migrants to the USA. To analyse Gautam’s consciousness, this research has used African American philosopher DuBois’s idea of double consciousness. Different interpretations of DuBoisian double consciousness agree that a diasporan has a specific transnational awareness. The elemental aspects of such awareness are the dual nature of thought, relationship to the memory of the homeland, confused state of mind, alienation, a sense of loss of history and culture along with the gain of new cosmopolitan identity. The analysis concludes that Gautam’s diasporic consciousness is expressed through her conscious dealing with diasporic distance, marginalization and discrimination in both the homeland and hostland, the realization of her own divided self, feeling of alienation and the connection with the root. It is hoped that this study will contribute to the discourse of Nepali diasporic consciousness.

Causes, Effects and Consequences of Cultural Differences: Reading Nepali Migrants' Literature in West Asia

This exploratory study deals with the depiction of causes, effects and consequences of cultural differences between the Nepali transnational migrants in West Asia and the citizens of the nations in this locale as seen in the literary creations of Nepali migrant writers. About a million Nepali migrants work in the Middle East. In the three decades of this migration, they have undergone many experiences of awe and shock caused by their cultural differences with the host land societies. Mainly caused by the differences in terms of religion, social management and law, the Nepali migrants feel difficult to adjust in the respective societies and they bear the consequent discomforts. These experiences have been the base of the Nepali literary creations in that transnational locale. The authors have expressed these realities in their poems, novels, stories, essays and memoirs. This article shows how these writings have portrayed the impact of closed Islamic society unlike the open society in Nepal; occupation based social hierarchy unlike the caste based one in Nepal; differences in culinary items and chance of personal freedom; distance between male and female; the traditional concept about the housemaids and workers; and other socio-cultural discriminations on the migrants in West Asia. The texts under analysis show that whatever is the social background back in Nepal, all Nepali migrants have the same culture, i.e. Nepali; and so they try to save it for their solace in the hostland.