Shreejana Shrestha

Nepalese migrant workers, whose earnings contribute one-fourth to Nepal’s economy, are dying at a higher rate in foreign shores each year. 

According to a data obtained from Foreign Employment Promotion Board (FEPB), the number of Nepalese migrant workers dying in foreign countries, including the Gulf, has increased by around 60 percent in four years. While 520 deaths were registered at the FEPB 2010, the number surged to 828 in 2013.

Though the record at FEPB is based on complaints filed by the family of the deceased, there might hundreds of unreported deaths, especially in the Gulf nations, with family members unaware about the condition of their relative working abroad.



Tika Bhandari, acting executive director at FEPB, said the death rate has been rising along with the rise in the number of Nepalese workers going abroad for foreign employment.

“People opting foreign employment has increased tremendously in the last 10 years,” Bhandari said, adding, “On average, only 100,000 people used to go abroad for foreign employment per year until 10 years ago. Today, more than 400,000 people go abroad every year.” He opined that lack of proper orientation was a major factor behind the deaths of Nepalese workers in foreign countries. 

“Lack of proper orientation before departing to foreign countries is causing the deaths of more Nepalese while working,” Bhandari said. “Every migrant worker must learn about the environmental and cultural aspects of the host country.” 

More Nepalese workers died in Malaysia in the last four years, followed by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, as per the data. “Our research shows that Nepalese people undergo extreme physical pressure while cultivating and cutting palm trees in Malaysian forests,” he said, adding, “Even though the weather is good in Malaysia, more Nepalese workers have died working at factories that manufacture furniture as it requires immense physical strength.” 

Bhandari reiterates that proper heath check-up is a must for anyone who opts to go on a foreign employment. The data states that more people had died of cardiac arrest followed by heart attack. 

According to the Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE), there are around 1.2 million Nepalese migrant workers in the Gulf countries, 500,000 each in Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, 400,000 in Qatar and 100,000 in Kuwait. 

Remittance by Nepalese working abroad contributed 25.5 % of Gross Domestic Product, or US$ 4.9 billion, in the year 2012/2013.

Published on: 22 April 2014 | Republica