Balewa. December 18. (Taranath Acharya, RSS) Today is the 21st International Migration Day. The day is observed to promote the rights and well-being of the migrant workers and their families. However, foreign employer is leading to villages without youth while it has also brought about social, cultural and family disintegration. Skilled and productive human resource has migrated abroad.   

There are few employment opportunities in the country. Even in self-employed businesses, the youth are not satisfied. Hence, youths are compelled to go for foreign employment due to feed their families. However, a young migrant worker spends his/her youth working in a foreign country, while sending remittance back home.   

Nowadays, only the elderly and children have been left in the villages. Shiva Regmi, program officer of the Foreign Employment Board, says that it has become difficult to see the youth in the village as the migration for foreign employment has increased. “The villages have become youthless,” said Regmi. “There is a shortage of productive human resource. Our labor is being sold abroad at cheap prices.”   

Social capital is being damaged in Nepali society even though migration has brought in remittance. On the other hand, due to unsafe migration, our youth are losing their lives. “The statistics are alarming. The number of young people applying for passports in the last four months is staggering,” says Regmi. “Self-employment needs to be emphasized.”   

According to the statistics of the FEB, 17 youths who went for foreign employment from Baglung lost their lives in the last fiscal year alone. There are no statistics yet on the number of people who have lost their lives due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Five youths have returned with disabilities. Manibhadra Sharma, president of the civil society organization BYC Baglung, said, social and mental health problems are increasing in Nepal due to increased migration.

Many governmental and non-governmental organizations have come up with programs to reduce foreign employment and engage youths in self-employment, but the economic, social and psychological impact of immigration needs to be addressed too.