Migration has been very much debated and criticized facet of Nepal. Indeed the majority of country’s economy is supported by the remittance but the bitter fact of large population migrating has left the country with shortage of skilled manpower and youths. With the even more dark side, the people migrating for foreign employment encountering exploitation of wages, working hours, risking lives. The women part is even more deteriorating and vulnerable as they are compelled to face sexual exploitation, harassment, minimal wages and in many cases held as hostage depriving them of contacting their family and friends. This results for the migrant workers to return with their life on stake or with the wound of physical torture that generates in them unstable mentality, physical disability and traumatic memory of foreign employment for rest of their lives.
With the lack of our country’s strong policy and bilateral agreements with those countries making call for foreign employment, the ratio of migration victim is higher then the ones who have had actual successful foreign employment experience. Absence and weak implementation of proper monitoring/instructing mechanism, policy and regulations, people are made to follow the illegal system and procedure of the uncontrolled middle men and agencies who takes unnecessary benefits from them without their information. This unfortunately leads in making people use the illegal port of departure, missing of the required documents, lack of proper information, mishandling and being lost in the immigration and many times stranded in the wrong destination. MAG has been advocating the issues of safe migration particularly by working with the policy makers and country’s security bodies. It is executive member of National Network For Safe Migration (NNSM), a joint national network of organizations working for migration. It coordinates with the network to adopt and implement strict and observed and reinforced mechanisms, policies by the state and government. RTI being the crucial aspect, MAG attempts to set the link between RTI & Migration as its inter-connection is inevitable. It has conducted, 1. An extensive interaction program (in coordination with NNSM) about safe migration and rights of migrant workers of Nepal. . This program followed as the case of a returned women migrant worker was mishandled and exploited by a security person at Tribhuvan International Airport occurred. The main objective of the program was to contour and stress the country’s functioning bodies to analyze the context of Nepal on where does it stands for migration and the migrant workers. Likewise, the program focused to develop self-awareness amongst the policy makers for the need of powerful and strict act for migration and ensure the safety and right of the migrant workers. 2. Orientation program (supported by UN Women and European Commission & coordination of NNSM) on with 100+ Security personnel at The Tribhuvan International Airport to promote safe migration practice in Nepal from their end and ensure that every migrant workers are entitled with their right defined by the state’s law.