COlLOMBO – The Embassy of Nepal in Colombo, on Monday.Dec.22 marked International Migration Day and Nepal Labour Week by organizing a dialogue program with a special focus on Nepali labor migrants in the Maldives.
The event brought together participants from Nepali migrant workers currently working in the Maldives, policymakers, and experts to discuss the realities, challenges, and policy priorities concerning Nepali migrant workers. The event featured in-depth discussions on the lived realities, challenges, and policy priorities of Nepali migrant workers in the Maldives.
The program commenced with remarks from Dr. Purna Bahadur Nepali, Ambassador of Nepal, who highlighted Nepal’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding the rights of migrant workers and fostering evidence-based, people-centric migration governance. Mr. Sagar Bhandari, First Secretary, introduced the overarching theme- “Honoring the contribution of migrants and respecting their rights.”
A core component of the event was a virtual session in which Nepali nationals currently living and working in the Maldives joined via Google Meet. Speakers, including representatives of Nepali workers and professionals, highlighted critical issues such as arrival procedures, visa and wage challenges, working conditions, remittance, documentation, and overall well-being for the Embassy’s attention.
Following this, Mr. Vijay Kumar Raut, Deputy Chief of Mission, presented key findings from the Strategic Engagement Paper. This was succeeded by an interactive feedback session with invited experts and stakeholders.
Distinguished guests included Ms. Bilesha Weeraratne (Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka), Anoop Sathpathy and Asim Musthafa (ILO), Ms. Sugandha Kafle (IOM), Mr. Prateek Sharma (Jeevan Vigyan Foundation), and Saroj Sapkota (Nepal Helpline). Discussions encompassed ethical recruitment, bilateral cooperation, remittance, pre-departure orientation, insurance mechanisms, public diplomacy, mental health, among others.
The event concluded with closing remarks by the Ambassador, reaffirming the Embassy’s dedication to continued dialogue, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and tangible policy measures to enhance the welfare of Nepali workers abroad, particularly in the Maldives.
