SRIJANA Creating opportunities for social and economic well-being of migrants The pandemic has worsened the plight of hundreds and thousands of migrant workers, many of whom are out of work in a foreign land, stranded in isolation, many stranded across the borders unable to come home due to the lockdown, and others who have managed to come back home, but are without jobs and are living on meagre savings. The majority of the returnees from seasonal migration to India are now jobless with an uncertain future as strict lockdowns continue. Small landholdings, limited productivity of agricultural land, resultant food insecurity, lack of skills or education, and limited livelihood opportunities in their hometowns force thousands to migrate to India seasonally looking for jobs and extra income. These  informal laborers often end up in low wage jobs in factories, service industry and as domestic help or guards in bigger cities of India. However, these low skilled jobs pay a low salary (10 - 15 k NPR) , meaning that these migrants cannot support a significant economic upliftment of their families in Karnali and Sudurpaschim province of Nepal.  

With no option left but to flee back to their hometowns post Covid-19, many are destitute, with little livelihood opportunities in the rural villages, facing the same problems they were hoping to escape - food insecurity, poverty and joblessness. The continuous lockdown in both Nepal and India means that for the time being they are trapped in this situation, leading to emotional, psychological and financial stress evident in growing number of suicides, domestic violence and violence against women on Karnali and Sudurpaschim province.  The brief returnee’s assessment reports show that 65 % of the migrants have come home without receiving their final payment.  59% of them are daily wagers, and they had to survive in India already for two-and-half to three months without salaries. For a family already living close to the poverty line, that is really difficult. In addition,  the returnee’s interview shows that 35% of the returnee’s families are fully dependent on the income of migrants. Due to the lockdown and COVID-19 all those families are facing many challenges to manage the daily supplies and needs. 

Like any other disasters, the COVID crisis has hit the poorest the most. The migrant returnees have minimal risk-bearing capacity and have no concrete plans for future. There are reports of countries furloughing or even laying off migrant workers. When work resumes, hundreds of these workers will face either salary cut or reduced work hours. It can be predicted that thousands of them will lose jobs due to foreseeable economic recession and shutdown or downsizing of industries, forcing them to stay back in their home countries not knowing what to do. Unplanned and untimely return of the migrant workers can push many of them under debt traps for the loans taken to pay for abroad migration. The shock of dismissal from a job, lack of livelihood opportunities back home, and huge family responsibilities, on the other hand, will keep many of these returnee migrants under unprecedented mental stress. Overall Goal

Improving the overall socio-economic status of migrant returnees and their families in Sudur Paschim
and Karnali Province in Nepal who are in a highly vulnerable situation due to COVID19 pandemic. 

Specific objectives

1. Migrant returnees and their families have increased income through quick return/ high value farm
livelihoods options
2. Migrant returnees and potential migrants have received certified vocational skill trainings and
have been placed in on the job trainings (apprenticeship) or employment
3. Migrant returnees and potential migrants have been linked with government, CSO and private
sectors employment provisions
4. Migrant returnees and their families have received counselling support Migrant Returnees :-  Youth migrant returnees, possible migrants youth and their families