Nepal is exploring ways to utilize the non-financial benefits brought back by migrant workers after foreign employment, aiming to support national development.
Nepal is currently evaluating strategies to leverage ‘social remittances,’ which refer to the knowledge, skills, values, and social capital that Nepalese workers acquire abroad and bring back home upon their return. While financial remittances have long been a critical pillar for Nepal’s economy, authorities and researchers are increasingly interested in the potential of these social remittances to contribute to social and economic development. These may include new perspectives on governance, education, health practices, entrepreneurship, and community organization brought by returnees from foreign employment. The initiative is part of broader discussions among policymakers and development experts on maximizing the contributions of overseas employment beyond monetary inflows. Official sources have highlighted that harnessing social remittances could promote sustainable development, strengthen local institutions, and improve livelihoods in Nepal’s communities. This approach also aligns with research emphasizing the multifaceted impact of migration on sending countries’ development paths. The government reportedly plans to devise frameworks that better integrate returnees’ acquired knowledge and experiences into national development programs, although specific policy details remain under consideration. This development may serve as a model useful for other countries with significant migrant worker populations, including Greece, which hosts many overseas workers from Nepal.
Sources referenced:
- https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiwgFBVV95cUxQRGNaM3NGc0x3MWF4VWpZZGFqSVRNQ3F0MGg5WkhKTk1jVjJ5aFZsdjhVNEpFSTFPN2dXVWxPcVFCWjVZSXpDR3BXQVBYQ3lFMTg3cnJYVV94NF9Tb2pzdUVkcjl6Umd4ZmdfYmpkUEM5Vk5PWWYtQUdvd3FHLXRBUzhqY0VFOHJQcTRlWmVNN0Q4OTE3NzRVWGYzVEJxQm84NFFlMk0tV1hiRDRJYjFQRjR4WExSQ2JqUWtKRTAyckE2Zw