Policy Talk on Labor Migration and Remittances in Nepal Held at Policy Research Institute

Policy Research Institute, Narayanhiti

As part of its regular policy dialogue and capacity-building initiatives, the Policy Research Institute (PRI) hosted a policy talk titled “Labor Migration Decisions and Their Impact on Remittances in Nepal: Insights for Policy Actions.”  Prof. Dr. Udaya Raj Waglé, a professor at the School of Public Affairs and Administration at Northern Arizona University, delivered the session.

Prof. Dr. Lekhnath Sharma, Executive Chairperson of PRI, formally welcomed Dr. Waglé, emphasizing the relevance of evidence-based insights in shaping effective migration policies. Dr. Kalpana Khanal, Senior Research Fellow at PRI, facilitated the session.

Dr. Wagle presented a comprehensive overview of the theoretical underpinnings of international labor migration, drawing on empirical evidence from the Nepal Household Living Standards Surveys (Rounds III and IV). The absentee population residing in other parts of Nepal and internationally was categorized into different levels, namely domestic, India and South Asia, Gulf and other Asian countries, and developed countries in the West. In his study, Dr. Waglé utilized economic models to analyze the effect of variables like age, education, ethnicity, and value of land owned on the decision to migrate and for the analysis of the impact of migration destination on remittance earnings by household.

The theoretical and policy implications of the study are listed as follows:

• Individuals and families may be making calculated (cost and benefit) decisions about migration destination
• After accounting for human capital and financial endowments, migration to developed Western countries provides the most significant remittance premium, followed by the Gulf and other Asian countries.
• These migration dynamics are unlikely to be reversed without a major shift in domestic economic and environmental policies (access to migration, bilateral agreements, education, domestic employment, and entrepreneurship, etc)

The presentation was followed by an engaging Q&A session, where PRI research fellows actively participated. Prof. Dr. Lekhnath Sharma concluded the session by appreciating the efforts made by academic researchers in bringing important issues into the discussion.

Guest expert: Dr. Udaya R. Waglé (Professor, Northern Arizona University)

Participants:
Prof. Dr. Lekhnath Sharma (Executive Chairperson, PRI)
Ganga R. Gautam (Researcher, Brookings Institution)
Laxman Prasad Bhattarai (Office Manager)
Dr. Khaganath Adhikari (Senior Research Fellow)
Dr. Hari Sharma Neupane (Senior Research Fellow)
Dr. Deepak Kumar Khadka (Senior Research Fellow)
Dr. Mukti Ram Rijal (Senior Research Fellow)
Dr. Kalpana Khanal (Senior Research Fellow)
Dr. Mohan Kumar Sharma (Senior Research Fellow)
Dr. Giri Raj Sharma (Research Fellow)
Ashok Pandey (Research Fellow)
Dr. Niranjan Devkota (Research Fellow)
Dr. Hari Prakash Chand (Research Fellow)
Dr. Subash Adhikari (Research Fellow)
Dr. Pradeep Panthi (Research Fellow)
Dr. Jham Kumar Bishwakarma (Associated Research Fellow)
Dr. Manita Kusi (Associated Research Fellow)
Dr. Maheswar Giri (Associated Research Fellow)
Gopal Acharya (Associated Research Fellow)
Dr. Prabhat Raj Dahal (Associated Research Fellow)
Rija Manandhar (Analyst)
Soniya Bashyal (Analyst)
Bimal Chandra Sharma (Library Management Coordinator)
Parbat Bhattarai (Senior Assistant)
Gita Neupane (Senior Assistant)
Milan Shrestha (Senior Assistant)
Ayushka K.C. (Intern)
Ashish Bhandari (Intern)
Kumari Alika (Intern)
Dhiraj Bhatta (Intern)
Juna Shrestha (Intern)
Bijaya Koirala (Intern)
Balihang Limbu (Intern)
Snehi Rijal (Intern)
Satish Sapkota (Intern)