Despite government’s claim of an improved investment climate and increase in job creation, the number of Nepali citizens seeking employment abroad has reached an all-time high. According to data from the Department of Foreign Employment, nearly 84,000 Nepalis left the country for work in a single month, marking the highest figure recorded in the country’s history of labor migration.
Loknath Bhusal, director of the department, confirmed that the number of individuals going abroad for employment in Mangsir (mid-November to mid-December) was unprecedented. Previously, the highest number recorded was 76,403 in Bhadra (mid-August to mid-September) of the last fiscal year.
Last month saw 83,933 Nepalis traveling to 96 countries with government-issued work permits, including 70,500 men and 13,433 women, through both individual and institutional channels. This year’s figure is 12,000 higher than the 71,276 workers who went abroad during the same period last year.
More than 85% of these workers headed to the Gulf countries, primarily to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. In the review month, 24,769 Nepalis obtained new work permits or renewed their work permits to work in the UAE, followed by 18,115 heading to Saudi Arabia, and 14,844 to Qatar. The number of Nepalis going to Malaysia, another key employment destination, has declined to 4,469, following the imposition of quotas on foreign workers by the Malaysian government.
Rajendra Bhandari, president of the Nepal Foreign Employment Entrepreneurs Association, attributed the surge in Nepali workers to stricter restrictions on Bangladeshi and Pakistani workers in Gulf countries. For instance, the UAE tightened visa requirements for Bangladeshi workers following protests, while similar restrictions have been imposed on Pakistani workers, reportedly due to incidents of begging. These changes have created greater opportunities for Nepalis in the Gulf region, particularly in the construction sector.
By mid-December of the current fiscal year, 317,000 Nepalis had left for foreign employment, compared to 278,000 during the same period last year. This sharp increase has also led to a significant rise in remittances. In the first four months of the current fiscal year, remittance inflows amounted to Rs 521.63 billion, an increase of 9.1% compared to the same period last year. According to Nepal Rastra Bank, over 70% of remittances are sourced from the Gulf countries, with a senior official noting, “A large part of remittances is coming from the Gulf countries.”
Foreign employment expert Ganesh Gurung highlighted that political instability, frustration, and the lack of a conducive investment environment are driving more Nepalis to seek opportunities abroad. He expressed concern over the loss of capable human resources and emphasized the need for the government to implement comprehensive plans to retain young talent in the country. Gurung also stressed the importance of integrating scattered employment programs, creating domestic job opportunities, and redirecting remittance inflows toward productive sectors rather than unproductive spending.
