February 22:  More than 64,000 Nepali nationals received work permits for foreign employment in the month of Magh (mid-January to mid-February). Most of them had applied for work permit in Malaysia, one of the major labour destinations of Nepali migrant workers.

According to the Department of Foreign Employment, a total of 64,284 people, including 58,447 men and 5,837 women, took work permits for foreign employment in the review month.

This figure represents those who took individual work permits for the first time to work abroad as well as institutional work permits and renewal of work permits. The number of Nepalis who have received new labor permits is 39,124. According to the department, it includes 4,266 women and 34,858 men.

Most of them are those who have taken work permit to go to Malaysia. A total of 19,783 people have received work permits for Malaysia. Similarly, 12,704 people have taken work permit to go to Qatar, 10,576 people for Saudi Arabia, 9,770 people for the UAE and 2,992 people for Kuwait.

Similarly, 417 have acquired work permits for Cyprus, 471 for Croatia, 882 for Japan, 270 for Malta, 720 for Poland, 45 for Portugal and 804 for Romania, the department said.