Ministry drafts action plan on migration policy

A draft action plan on migration policy has been prepared to guide respective stakeholders towards safe overseas employment of all categories of workers.
Officials said with the help of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment (MoEWOE) drafted the action plan to guide the ministries and agencies concerned towards safe overseas employment.
"The policy has been prepared to set strategy, but the action plan is to guide all concerned of the actions to be taken," said an official involved in drafting the action plan.
Besides, he said, the action plan is to accommodate the country's commitment nationally and globally.
The officials said as the country is bound to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and set growth target according to the 7th five-year plan, the action plan will help attain both.
The MoEWOE had formulated the "expatriates welfare and overseas employment policy which was approved by the cabinet in January last year. It was prepared with six policy directives to ensure and encourage safe migration as well as protection of migrants and their family members.
However, sources said though the policy has been formulated aiming to ensure labour migration governance, develop labour market information system, form labour migration forum and steering committee headed by the prime minister, no progress has been made in this regard.
They said even though some of these are time-consuming, the action plan has guided the authorities concerned and agencies on how to take necessary actions.
The officials said the action policy has also tried to ensure safe migration of all categories of workers including women and focus on new job markets for females and their psychological and social conciliation to new workplace and family.
For safe migration, emphasis has been put on skills development and protection of rights of migrant workers as well as their families, they added.
The issues of insurance for migrant workers and increase in remittance also come up in the action plan, an official said.
    smunima@yahoo.com