Understanding Human Trafficking Risk Factors in Nepal’s Foreign Employment Sector

The study finds multiple indicators of human trafficking for labor exploitation present among migrant workers during the recruitment process in Nepal and employment abroad. Recruitment in Nepal embodies several indicators of human trafficking, including deception about the nature of work, wages, and working conditions; lack of information about the contents of the contract; and excessive recruitment fees and debt bondage. In the destination countries, workers generally work for more than eight hours per day, and usually without any overtime payment. Some workers operate in hazardous working environments and some have their wages withheld or are unpaid. The study finds several factors contributing to human trafficking in the guise of labor migration from Nepal, including push factors of migration such as poverty, unemployment, and need of cash to meet various family needs. Unregulated labor intermediaries, commonly referred to as "agents," play a crucial role in facilitating migration of Nepali workers, connecting them with recruitment agencies and helping them navigate through a complex migration process. However, agents often provide incorrect and misleading information, collect hefty recruitment fees, and do not provide the expected support when migrant workers contact them from abroad. Agents contribute to migration of workers with some indicators of human trafficking present, often recruiting migrant workers through deception. Migrant workers in the study sample were employed in "3D" jobs (dirty, difficult, and dangerous), including construction, agriculture, mining, or sectors with certain risks or informal economy. Workers were employed in economic sectors and occupations identified by the ILO as the "most hazardous." Although the lack of variation in job types in the study sample did not allow for a comparison of experiences of employment in most hazardous versus safest sectors, it is safe to say that the migrant workers from Nepal are heavily concentrated in jobs considered "low-skill" and rank lower in terms of wages, safety, and desirability. Domestic workers in the study sample (all of whom were women employed in GCC countries and lived with their employers) had to provide 24-hour services to their employers. The informal nature of work and the employment outside the labor laws of the host countries made the workers even more vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. Even employment in a formal setting does not guarantee that workers will not be forced to work for more than eight hours a day. Workers employed in manufacturing, cleaning, and construction sectors reported that they had to work for longer hours and often without any overtime payment. The study highlights the need for effective measures to prevent human trafficking in Nepal's foreign employment sector. This includes strengthening the regulatory framework for labor recruitment, increasing awareness among migrant workers about the risks of human trafficking, and providing support to migrant workers who have been trafficked. Additionally, there is a need to improve working conditions and wages for migrant workers, particularly in the most hazardous sectors.