ABSTRACT
A great deal of discussion in Nepal is centred on labour emigration, particularly the volume of emigration and remittances entering Nepal. But policies affecting the emigration and remittance flow is seldom explored and reviewed. This chapter aims to review policies affecting emigration of labour and on how these policies evolved. The main concern of this chapter is foreign labour migration from Nepal, and thus policies affecting this type of migration are reviewed and analysed here. It is almost a truism that foreign labour migration and remittances has
become the central pillar of Nepali economy and society, even though migration as such is not a new phenomenon in Nepal. However, its nature and magnitude have changed especially after the reinstatement of democratic political system in 1990, after which the country followed liberal policies in terms of allowing people to move across borders for employment. This policy helped, in essence, many Nepalese to use the opportunities created in foreign countries by the process of globalisation. On the other hand, migration between Nepal and India has been managed through Nepal-India Friendship Treaty of 1950, which allows free movement of people across the border, and this migration has been taking place since at least 250 years. This chapter first provides a historical review of the government policies
on migration, and then analyses them from political-economic perspective. The policies on migration are divided into distinct political-historical periods: Period of unification of Nepali state (1776-1846), Rana dictatorial regime (1846-1950), Nationalist period (1950-1990) and Democratic period (1990-2015). It is clearly seen from the review of migration
policies and policymakers’ attitudes to migration in these periods that the state had different interest in migration of their people, but in general the rulers were interested in establishing and continuing their political power by controlling or promoting migration. In a way, rulers, or the political class, developed migration policies the way it suited them best. This was especially so until 1990. In the next political phase of the state (after 1990), which represented a democratic political system, some concerns were also shown by the government on migrants’ rights and use of remittances for the development of the country. Debates on human and migrant labour rights and the assumptions on the nexus between remittance/migration and development have also been influencing the policies since 1990. The chapter focusses mainly on policies after 1950, when Nepal also
opened itself to the outside world. This period also coincides with a major shift in emigration policies. After an attempt to control emigration for about three decades (1950-1980), ‘developmentalist’ narrative in politics in the 1980s led to some relaxation in migration rules, but this was more so after the political change in 1990. Post-1990, the Nepali State adopted a policy shift in its approach to emigration and the recent form of globalisation; it realised that Nepal cannot remain outside the globalisation process and that it should get benefit from employment opportunities in other countries. This central objective still informs various recent policies that are made in recent times. Other social concerns, like poverty reduction, gender equality and empowerment and development of human capital, are also now linked with emigration of people for employment. These are also the economic and social indicators that the Nepali State wanted to improve through development planning since 1950, but which have come in recent times because of remittances. In addition, the government has seen remittances and other income associated with migration as easy money for running the state and its apparatus, including the foreign exchange required for high level of imports. As there has generally been positive contribution of migration and remittances to those social and economic indicators, the government has started giving greater attention on migration policies in recent times. But still, there are entrenched self-interests of government agencies, politicians and agents involved in formulating policies and sending workers abroad, which have constrained adequate implementation of policies that are helpful for the workers. A problem in implementation of a very recent policy of zero-cost migration and the resistance from RAs to go by this policy demonstrates this entrenched political-economic interest to sabotage the policy. Before the review of migration policies, a brief review of migration and
remittances and their impact on economy and society has been discussed.
