The government has hinted at reopening Iraq for Nepali migrant workers as the country is undergoing tremendous reconstruction on the ruins of war as it tries to heal wounds from the past.

Remittance is the lifeblood of Nepal’s economy. Nepalis sent home Rs903.39 billion in remittance in the first nine months of the current fiscal year, giving a much-needed boost to the country’s ailing economy.

Ek Narayan Aryal, secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, told a press meeting on Sunday that every country Nepal has bilateral relations with, including Iraq, should be open for foreign employment.

“Nepalis have gone to as many as 178 countries to work,” said Aryal.

Nepal, however, has only 37 diplomatic missions abroad including embassies and consulates.

“We believe that all the countries we have bilateral relations with should be open for foreign employment. Even a small country like Montenegro wants workers from Nepal.”

In recent years, many Chinese companies have gone to Iraq to join in reconstruction efforts.

In March 2003, US forces invaded Iraq to end the dictatorial rule of Saddam Hussein.

After violence began to decline in 2007, the United States gradually reduced its military presence in Iraq, formally completing its withdrawal in December 2011.

Nepal banned its citizens from entering Iraq in 2004 when 12 Nepalis were killed.

Nepal, however, lifted the ban in 2010.

The ban in Iraq was again imposed in 2016 after 13 Nepali security guards were killed by a Taliban suicide bomber in the Afghan capital.

Iraq, in addition to Afghanistan, Syria and Libya, is among four conflict-ravaged countries that are forbidden for Nepali citizens to migrate for work.

“Sending workers to Iraq would have been an issue until a few years ago. But, the situation has changed in recent years,” according to Aryal.

“Reconstruction works are being carried out in Iraq,” Aryal said. “Iraq or any other country could demand workers from Nepal in the coming days.”

As many as 605,798 Nepalis left the country (new and reentry approvals) for foreign employment in the first nine months of the current fiscal year, according to the Department of Foreign Employment’s statistics.

The figure, however, does not include those who migrate for foreign jobs through informal ways.

Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Sharat Singh Bhandari said that the focus of the ministry was skilling the workers while the choice to work at home or abroad was solely on the individuals.

“We obviously want youths to stay and work in the country,” Bhandari said. “But, if they want to go abroad, it is the responsibility of the state to facilitate their easy and safe access to the foreign labour market.”

Nepal has bilateral relations with 179 countries so far, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Published on: 5 June 2023 | The Kathmandu Post