Migration in Nepal

MIGRATION (NEPAL)

GURKHAS AND FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT ACT OF NEPAL

NILIMA RAUT

NEPAL –BRITISH EAST INDIA COMPANY (1814-1816) WAR AND MIGRATION

Fighting skills of Gurkhas and their Khukuri Sugauli Sandhi 1816(Peace Treaty) and

recruitment of Nepalese fighter in British East India Army

Gurkhas(so-called “martial race”, i.e. Gurung, Magar, Rai, Limbu, Tamang, Saundra etc), not the ethnicity but named after the place Gorkha

Political power games and Clan ‘Push factors; politics, economy, skills,

history’

GURKHAS IN NUMBERS

First World War- more than 65,000 men for first world war, 124,000 youths were recruited in the Second World War 10 Lakh Rupees per annum from British Government as a gift

for the recruitment of Gurkhas

According to British Army-nearly 20,000 in WW- I and 23,000 in WW- II and total 43,000 were killed in the various location of the earth. Still the official figure has not been published. However Gurkhas presume that more than 60,000 were killed in the wars.

Did they really get the fair positions?

(ref: A Tradition of Bartering or selling Nepalese Youth, Prof. Dr. Yubraj Sangraula)

AFTER 1947 The Tri-partite Agreement between the United

Kingdom, India and Nepal was a treaty signed in 1947 concerning the rights of Gurkhas in military service.

As a part of this arrangement, it was agreed that Gurkhas in British and Indian service should enjoy broadly the same conditions of service, to ensure that there was no unfair advantage to serving in one or other, thus maintaining economic stability and social harmony in the Gurkha recruiting areas. Thus, the governments of the United Kingdom, India and Nepal came to sign the Tripartite Agreement (TPA). ( As mentioned in Wikipedia)

Did it bring the equality?

In the past 50 years they have served in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Borneo, Cyprus, the Falklands, Kosovo and in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Today there are still 3,800 Gurkhas serving in British forces around the world, while more than 30,000 serve in the Indian Army

The soldiers are still selected from young men living in the hills of Nepal - with about 28,000 youths tackling the selection procedure for just over 200 places each year.

(ref: BBC)British Army Gurkhas take positions during a patrol in an area known as Hamburger Hill in Helmand province, Afghanistan Photo: PA (the Telegraph)

CURRENT SITUATION

Joanna Lumley supported ‘Gurkha Rights’ Campaign 2011

Britain’s new policy of allowing Gurkha pensioner and their family to settle in UK -2011

At present, a Gurkha pension is worth around £2,150 ($3,404USD) per year but increased living costs mean that approximately £5,000 ($7,917 USD) per year is  required to live comfortably in Nepal. 

100,000 possible migrants The British army reducing the number of Gurkhas by 2015

(www.towardfreedom.com -2010, www.dailymail.com)

Brain drain or brain circulation?

Living standard of Migrated Gurkhas family in UK is poor ( migrant’s settlement)

Nepal's parliamentarians now want to end the relationship and use their talents at home Padam Lal Bishwakarma, chairman of Nepal's Parliamentary International Relations and Human Rights Committee, told the Daily Telegraph he wanted the recruitment to end but not until the country could offer the men alternative jobs which matched its pay.

No Strong return policy

Why Nepal Government want to end recruitment of Gukhas in British Army?

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6Dg66aUsmk )

No money: 67 year-old Nepalese farmer and ex-British army Gurkha Uman Singh Gurung in his mouldy Aldershot bedsit, (Dailymail.co.uk)

MIGRATION TREND Family Trend(Lahure)/ Ethnicity Dependants High payment Securing future of 2nd and third generations Old generation, lack of resettlement program and

opportunity Political purpose Lack of Policy Unstable political situation in Nepal

Is this a result of politics or the ethnicity or the skills?

FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT ACT 2042 BS (1985)

- HMG shall not give approval to ; If the person having qualification demanded by employment providing institution is required for the economic development of Nepal

- …the license holder shall not provide foreign employment to children or to women without the consent of their guardian

More control over foreign migration

FOREIGN EMPLOYMENT ACT 2064BS (2007)

Department of Foreign Employment and Foreign Employment Promotion Board

• Equal Right for Women for Foreign Employment

• Proposition of special reservation on foreign employment for women, dalits, indigenous people and

ethnic groups, deprived people affected by natural disaster and people living in remote areas

• Detailed provision regarding licenses for foreign employment agencies.

• Provision for people to process for foreign employment individually without using the foreign employment agencies.

• Provision of “foreign employment welfare fund” directed to the workers and their families.

Foreign employment promotion; migration industry?

IN MIGRATION ?

Main Migrants Nepal- India open border Tibetan refugees, Permanent migrants

MIGRANTS AND REMITTANCE 1.4 million documented migrants and

undocumented migrants are estimated to be more than that

3.5 billion US dollar remittance which contribute almost 25% of Nepal GDP(world Bank 2010)

18% decline in absolute poverty in the six years between 2003/04 and 2009/10 (central bureau of statistics Nepal)

British Government pays £87 million a year which is 8% of GDP made by remittance (The Telegraph)

TO BE ANALYZED…

Is it fair to end the Gurkha recruitment? Who really are the beneficiaries?

THANK YOUNilima RautMAINS 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6Dg66aUsmk