- NRNA and ILO have agreed to strengthen cooperation to improve safety, welfare, and support services for Nepali migrant workers worldwide.
- The partnership focuses on a full support cycle including pre-departure preparation, workplace protection, and the professional reintegration of returning migrants.
- Discussions addressed evolving migration patterns to Europe and the need for better mechanisms to repatriate deceased workers and support their families.
- Both organizations aim to mobilize global networks to provide migrant workers with reliable information, social security, and easier access to emergency assistance.
Kathmandu, Nepal: The Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have agreed to strengthen their cooperation to address the problems faced by Nepali migrant workers and improve their safety, welfare and access to support services abroad.
The issue was discussed during a meeting between an NRNA delegation led by President Dr. Hem Raj Sharma and ILO Nepal Country Director Numan Ozcan. The two sides discussed a range of concerns affecting Nepali workers, including workplace safety, mental health, social security, emergency assistance, repatriation of deceased workers and the reintegration of Nepalis returning home after working abroad.
Dr. Sharma said the problems faced by Nepali workers vary from one country to another, but many of their challenges are similar. He said NRNA has been working for years to support Nepalis living and working abroad and recalled the cooperation between NRNA and the ILO during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many migrant workers needed urgent assistance.
He stressed that support for migrant workers should not begin only after they encounter problems abroad. Workers need accurate information and proper preparation before leaving Nepal, protection and support while they are working overseas, and assistance when they return home.
Dr. Sharma also highlighted the need to make better use of the skills, knowledge and experience Nepalis gain while working abroad. Many returnees come home with valuable professional skills and international experience, he said, but Nepal needs a stronger system to help them turn those skills into opportunities at home.
He noted that the concerns of Nepali workers are no longer limited to the traditional destinations in the Middle East and Malaysia. Increasing numbers of Nepalis are also working in European countries. He suggested that NRNA's National Coordination Councils in different countries could be more effectively mobilized to connect workers with support services and strengthen cooperation with the ILO.
NRNA Vice President Rozina Pradhan Rai said assistance should reach workers where they actually live and work. She stressed that many people are unsure about where to seek help when they face problems abroad or after returning to Nepal.
According to her, workers and returnees should have simple and reliable information about available services, the relevant government agencies and the procedures for seeking assistance. Such information can be particularly important for workers who may already be under financial, legal or emotional pressure.
NRNA General Secretary Dr. Chiranjivi Khadka said the association is preparing to organize its first migrant workers' conference in the Middle East and invited the ILO to participate.
He described social security as one of the most important concerns for Nepali migrant workers and said NRNA is also working with the government to strengthen support in this area.
Khadka also pointed to the growing number of Nepalis working in European countries such as Croatia and Romania. As migration patterns change, he said, the welfare and social security of workers in these newer destinations also need greater attention.
He raised another sensitive issue faced by migrant families—the difficulty of bringing home the bodies of workers who die abroad.
For families already dealing with the loss of a loved one, the process can become even more difficult because of legal procedures, documentation, language barriers, coordination with local authorities and other formalities. Khadka said there is a need for a more effective mechanism to guide and support families through the process.
ILO Nepal Country Director Numan Ozcan said NRNA has an important role in bringing the voices and concerns of Nepali workers to the attention of relevant authorities.
He emphasized that organizations working for migrant workers should not remain distant from the communities they are trying to serve.
“Our objective is to reach the targeted people,” Ozcan said. “For that, we need to genuinely connect with communities and understand their problems and needs.”
Ozcan said labour migration should also be viewed as a complete journey rather than simply the process of leaving Nepal for work and eventually returning home.
Workers need proper preparation and training before departure, protection of their rights and safety while abroad, and meaningful support when they return, he said.
He also suggested that existing government services for migrant workers should be reviewed to determine where NRNA, the ILO and other organizations can provide additional support rather than duplicating services already available.
The discussions also highlighted the importance of cooperation among the government, relevant ministries, NRNA, the ILO, mental-health service providers and other organizations working with migrant communities.
For thousands of Nepali families, foreign employment is more than a source of income. It often means spending years away from home in the hope of building a better future for their families. Ensuring that those workers can leave safely, work with dignity and return home with proper support therefore remains an important responsibility for all institutions involved in Nepal's labour migration system.
The NRNA–ILO discussions have underscored the need for a more coordinated approach so that Nepali migrant workers can receive timely and reliable support when they need it—whether they are preparing to leave Nepal, working abroad, facing a crisis or returning home.
