March 20: The number of youths who received labour permits for foreign employment has crossed 5,00000 in the eight months of the current fiscal year. 

Data at the Department of Foreign Employment show that as many as 5,40,675 youths obtained labour permit for foreign employment in the eight months of the current fiscal year.

This is 33 per cent more than the last year’s  labour permits issued by the departmnet during the same period. The Department of Foreign Employment had issued 4,04,963 labour permits duirng the same period last fiscal year.

The total number of labour permits issued by the department  for foreign employment was 6,30,090 last fiscal year. The Department of Foreign Employment estimates that the number will increase this fiscal.

“Department of Foreign Employment estimates labour permits around 7,00000 to 8,00000 will be issued for foreign  employment in the current fiscal year,” said Director General Umakant Acharya of the department.

Acharya said trend of people going for foreign employment post-COVID-19 pandemic has increased. “Malaysia has increased the salary of labourers, which has led to the rise of people obtaining labour permit,” Acharya said.

As per the department, Malaysia is the most preferred destination among Nepali youths for foreign employment. A total of 19,842 persons received the labour permit for Malaysia the last month alone. Likewise, the department issued 11,303labour permits for Qatar.

For foreign employment in UAE, 9,795 took the labour permit while 9,503 received the permit for foreign employment in Saudia Arabia in the last month alone.

According to Acharya, the number of youths receiving labour permits for foreign job in European countries such as Malta, Turkey, Romania, Croatia is also increasing. In the last month alone, the department issued 1070 labour permits for Romania, 557 for Croatia, 21 for Turkey and 282 for Malta.

A total of 63,029 individuals received labour permits for foreign job in the first month of the current fiscal year while  76,403 Nepalis obtained permits for foriegn employment in the second month.

Likewise, the department issued as many as 62,706, 78370, 68564, 65464, 64,284 and 61,000 labour permits in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth months of the current fiscal year.