On 11 and 12 July, Amnesty International Nepal and Pravasi Nepali Coordination Committee (PNCC) jointly organised an interactive forum to explore different options and ways of reintegration of returnee migrant workers, and the role the local, provincial and federal governments can play on this issue.
Returnee migrants can contribute a lot to the economic and social development of their home country. However, Nepal has not yet been able to reap the benefits from the skills and experiences of returnee migrant workers. Reintegration of returnee migrant workers has also not been a matter of priority at policy-level discussions. Consequently, returnees are either forced to re-migrate for their livelihood or to countenance social, economic and psychological barriers at home in course of their pursuit to job and livelihood choices.
Honourable Prakash Rasaili “Snehi” and Honourable Durga Kumari Bi.Ka., members of the Industry, Commerce, Labour and Consumer Welfare Committee of the House of Representatives, returnee migrants from different districts, Mayor Narendra Kumar Gupta of Ramgram Municipality, Chairs and Vice Chairs of different Rural Municipalities, activists, civil society representatives and journalists were part of the forum.
The program began with a welcome remark from Bikram Dhukuchu, Chair of Amnesty Nepal. Dhukuchhu spoke about Amnesty International’s works in the promotion of the rights of migrant workers and committed to continue advocating for a safe and dignified working conditions for all including the migrants.
Highlighting the objective of the event, Kul Prasad Karki, Chair of the PNCC stated the program aimed to critically analyse the existing support measures available to the returnees and thereby recommend different layers of government on a number of viable options that could be institutionalised to encourage returnees to start life afresh with all the skills, experiences and maturity they bring back to the country.
Then, Amnesty Nepal staff made presentations on the findings of Amnesty International’s various researches on Nepal’s labour migration including a presentation on the theoretical and practical dimensions of the reintegration of the returnees. Kantipur journalist Hom Karki also made a presentation highlighting the situations of migrant workers in different gulf countries and presented interesting data including the government’s support system available to the distressed migrant workers.
The returnee migrant workers participating in the forum shared their experiences and how they coped with their life back home as a returnee. In particular, they highlighted the lack of psycho-social and economic support as well as the “dysfunctional” and often “unhelpful” governance systems in place that render returnees often to resort to re-migration. Some of the returnees also shared how they successfully managed to reclaim opportunities back home. Couple of returnee migrant workers had risen in political profiles and were now elected representatives of the people at the local level shouldering the responsibility of public service delivery including for returnee migrant workers.
Narendra Kumar Gupta, Mayor of Ramgram Municipality, Nawalparasi and Sita Kumari Poudel, Chair of Rasuwa Rural Municipality, Rasuwa shared some of the good initiatives undertaken by their offices to ensure that labour migration is safe, dignified and well-managed.
The two members of the House of Representative, Hon’ble Prakash Rasaili “Snehi” and Hon’ble Durga Kumari Bi.Ka. stayed throughout the event, noted down all points of discussions, and stated, in their concluding observation, that they would take to their committee every critical points raised during the course of the forum, and play their role at the parliament in having a reformed legislative framework to guide the process of migration and reintegration.