At least 150,000 Nepalis left country for employment amidst Covid-19 pandemic

KATHMANDU: At least 150,000 Nepali youths have left for foreign countries for employment amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the statistics of Department of Foreign Employment, 166,698 had renewed and obtained new labour permits from the Department of Foreign Employment in the last fiscal year.

Of them, 72,081 new Nepali workers had left for 116 countries for employment, Krishna Prasad Dawadi, Executive Director of the Department said.

He said that 61,428 had obtained the permits from the Department of Foreign Employment through manpower companies and 5,317 individually. The Department said that 94,617 people received work permits personally once again this year.

The Department said that 23,324 and 22,131 Nepalis had left for Saudi Arabia and Qatar respectively.

Similarly, 11,611 had gone to UAE, 3,146 to Baharain, 1,912 to Romania and 1,556 to Oman in search of jobs.

According to the data of the Department, 94,617 people obtained the labour permits individually.

Earlier, 5,336 people, who had gone illegally for foreign employment, had also obtained work permits this year.

80, 000 unskilled workers left country

The Department said that among the people, who had left the country, 80,382 are the unskilled workers.

The Department further said that 70,426 skilled workers had left for foreign countries in search of jobs where as 15,583 semi skilled workers, 246 skilled and 61 highly skilled workers had also left the country for foreign employment.