On International Migrants Day 2025, Nepal recognized the vital contributions of migrant workers to the national and global economy, while emphasizing the shared responsibility to protect their rights and dignity. This year’s national observance followed the theme “Good Governance across the Labour Migration Cycle: Safer, Decent and Skillful Migration,” highlighting the importance of comprehensive, rights-based labour migration governance.
Data from Nepal’s Labour Migration Status Report 2024 shows that between fiscal years 2008/09 and 2023/24, 5.7 million labour approvals were issued, with 1.51 million approvals in the last two years alone. Women’s labour migration is steadily increasing, accounting for 12.9 percent of total approvals in 2023/24. While Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Malaysia remain primary destinations, employment in Central and Eastern Europe has grown. Despite the economic benefits, labour migration carries significant risks, with over 1,200 deaths reported annually in recent years and numerous work-related injuries. Social protection coverage remains limited, with just over 1.65 million migrant workers, including nearly 200,000 women, enrolled in the Social Security Fund between March 2023 and June 2025, and continuation of contributions remains low.
Numan Özcan, ILO Country Director in Nepal, stressed the need to strengthen governance across all stages of labour migration to ensure safety, dignity, and decent work. ILO Nepal’s initiatives focus on advancing fair recruitment, improving access to information and services, and expanding social protection coverage for migrant workers and their families. Key efforts over the past two years include supporting the development of the Labour Migration Policy 2025, advising on bilateral labour agreements, delivering training to government and social partner representatives, and generating evidence to reduce recruitment costs and inform policy.
The ILO has also strengthened capacity among recruitment agencies and developed awareness materials to inform migrant workers of their rights, responsibilities, and potential risks before departure and during employment abroad. These initiatives, supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and GIZ, aim to promote safe, fair, and gender-responsive labour migration practices.
In line with the 2025 theme, ILO Nepal reaffirmed its commitment to rights-based labour migration governance guided by international labour standards and human rights principles. The organization works closely with the Government of Nepal and social partners to ensure that labour migration is safe, decent, and delivers positive outcomes for migrant workers and their families. On this occasion, ILO Nepal called for coordinated action to uphold migrant workers’ rights, acknowledge their contributions, and strengthen protections throughout the labour migration cycle.
