Interview with Dr Ganesh Gurung, Nepal Institute of Development Studies
Dr Gurung believes that migration narrative should shift from victimisation to empowerment, because that is closest to the truth.
“We just finished a financial literacy programme for families of migrants. Linking this with how to save money. Important to involve spouses at the household level. There are informal systems of remittances – hawala etc – and we want them to do it in proper channels. The guess is 40% comes in through illegal channels.”
Dr Gurung also sees remittances as a tool to counter effects of climate change, especially in an agro-centric economy.
“This money is used to adapt to a newly created environment.”
He says it’s no longer about creating jobs, since that has failed. Unemployment rate in 2008 was over 40%. - Opens in new tab
“It’s about creating value chain, tapping into their current economic activity. Something practically beneficial for the families. For instance, producing and selling milk, they would get minimum profit. But if they work on processes and products, their profits would rise. Create co-operative and sell directly, doing away with middle-men and brokers.”
Some groups do attempt to do so informally, as we have discussed here.
Dr Gurung also underlines the importance of social remittances, that often goes unacknowledged.
No investment in returnees
“We only focus on financial remittance. We don’t talk about skill, knowledge and experience, because they are exposed to different environment, they are mature. They are right for entrepreneurship. This has to be capitalised.
“People focus on negative aspects only. But the number adversely affected is small… we need to focus on what can be gained.”
In his assessment, the Nepalese government is not focusing on opportunities with returnees.
“There is no enabling environment for returning migrants. No schemes. General fatalistic perception, nothing can be done here, so 90% want to go back as migrants.”
Even with those going abroad, 70% are unskilled as Nepal hasn’t assessed labour markets in receiving countries – a process essential to matching up worker skills.
“Of course, we can’t only send semi-skilled and skilled, unskilled lose opportunities. There’s a need for them as well. Need a combination. This has to be packaged.”
He comes down hard on recruitment agents and dubs them ‘passport traders’
“There are 1,035 recruitment companies registered, of which 600-700 are operational. Only one is known as ethical. And they are all based in Kathmandu, due to regulations.”
This centralisation has given room for unregulated manpower trade in rural Nepal.
Dr Gurung places equal blame on donors and NGOs for staying silent in the face of corrupt recruitment practices.
“The donors, in the absence of strong civil society, should play a stronger role. And they are failing. In their silence, they are compliant.”
G to G as an option
Cleaning up and introducing better practices in recruitment is an urgent need.
The EPS with South Korea - Opens in new tab, which is a G to G system, has resulted in much less exploitation. “Recruitment agents are obviously unhappy with this. Destination countries, especially in the GCC, should invest in our country. Be active in our training centres. Set the curriculum. Tap into our potential.
“Engage directly with us. Meet families. Meet recruiters. Try and understand the environment.”
In return, Dr Gurung says, these countries that are so dependent on foreign labour will get mentally well-prepared workers, increasing efficiency.
“This is also a way of loosening the stranglehold middlemen have over migration and migrants. Help households improve. Now the system enriches brokers, not workers. The gap between haves and have-nots is increasing.”
