While thousands of aspiring young people are leaving the country for greener pastures, there are many who are utilizing the capital, knowledge and skills they acquired during their foreign stints after returning back to Nepal.

 

A study on the status of migrant workers returning from South Korea reveals that 80 percent of the returnees are either self-employed -- running enterprises, or are into income generating work back in the country.

 

The study report entitled 'Situation Report of South Korea Returnee Workers from Foreign Employment in South Korea' shows that a majority of those returning from the working in South Korea have embraced entrepreneurship or income-generating work while 20 percent are not employed.

 

The report was prepared by Ankur Nepal -- a non-governmental organization -- for the Foreign Employment Promotion Board (FEPB) with data from 951 South Korea returnees in 15 districts. The highest number of returnees are in Rupandehi (150), followed by Myagdi (79) and Sunsari (65).

 

According to the report, 95.68 percent had worked in the manufacturing sector, 3.47 percent in the agriculture sector and 0.85 percent in 'other' sectors in South Korea.

 

Interestingly, the report found that most of the workers are involved in a similar sector back in Nepal in line with their experiences in South Korea.

 

Following their return, the report shows, 63.15 percent (600 returnees) are now into industrial enterprise while 5.26 percent (50 returnees) are in the agricultural or farming sector. Similarly, 5.78 percent (55 returnees) are in social sector jobs and 2.1 percent (20) are involved in the tourism sector.

 

However, these returnees make up a nominal part of the total workers who have gone to South Korea -- one of the most lucrative labor destinations for Nepali migrant workers -- under the Employment Permit System (EPS) since 2008. A total of 28,453 Nepali workers had gone to South Korea under EPS until 2014.

 

Nawaraj Bhandari, 42-year-old, is one of those who returned to Nepal four years ago after working for 10 years in South Korea. He started his own business -- Sunrise Traders -- in Kalopul, Kathmandu, making school bags and other luggage.

 

Talking to Republica, he said his industry -- which has an annual turnover of Rs 15 million -- also plans to start exporting its products to South Korea. "Returnees have a business scope here as they have skills, knowledge, experience and the capital they earned abroad," he said, adding that these are their competitive advantages.

 

GOVT UPBEAT ABOUT 'REINTEGRATION'

 

Upbeat with the result of the report, government officials say that such engagement and entrepreneurship shown by foreign employment returnees from South Korea will help further encourage other migrant workers who are either leaving the country in droves or are currently in the destination countries to follow the returnees' footsteps.

 

"The happy stories of South Korean returnees and their successful reintegration through various entrepreneurship skills will obviously encourage others to come back and contribute to the country with capital, skill and knowledge," Dilli Raj Bastola, director at the EPS Korea Section of Department of Foreign Employment (DoFE) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE), said. "South Korea returnees could become role models," he added.

 

RETURNEES EXPECT SUBSIDIZED LOANS

 

These returnees have also expressed expectations from the government which was manifested in the study report.

 

The report shows that 72.52 percent of the returnees have sought both subsidized loans and skills development training from the government. The report has concluded that if the government's working process is simplified and good governance maintained, there could be more investment coming in in the manufacturing and other high employment-generation sectors.

 

"The number of South Korea returnees will increase in the days to come. The government should pursue a policy of organizing and mobilizing them, which can possibly address the unemployment problem, increase the production, reduce investment of workers' earning in consumption, and contribute in poverty alleviation," the report recommended.

 

EPS Korea Section director Bastola said that a proposal from FEPB waiting approval at MoLE will provide skills-based training and subsidized loans for returnees to start and expand their entrepreneurship. "The implementation of the proposal will provide some facilities, including training and subsidized loans to these returnees," he added.

 

'HIGHER RETURNS CAN INCREASE DEMAND'

 

According to government officials, the engagement of returnees can encourage workers to shun illegal overstaying in South Korea which will in turn boost Nepal's image in destination countries. When the number of migrant workers from any source country falls, the South Korean government will demand more workers from that country. According to data from EPS Center in Nepal under South Korea's Human Resource Department, 5.5 percent of the Nepali workers are staying in South Korea are illegally. "One of the factors that the South Korean government considers while determining the number of workers to demand from any country is the illegal workers' status in South Korea. If it is low, it demands higher numbers of workers. So far, the number of illegal Nepali workers is negligible compared to other countries," a source at the center told Republica.

 

Since a worker has a visa for four years and ten months, Nepalis workers staying there illegally are those who went to South Korea under EPS in 2008 and 2009.

 

"Most of the workers should be encouraged to return as the number of workers whose contracts under EPS will expire is going to increase. So the effort should be made to encourage them to return. The low number will make our image positive in Korea thereby increasing the demand for Nepali workers in the days to come," said Bastola. "The happy home return and reintegration effort is a way toward that end."