A group of 30 officials from Ministry of Labour and Transport
Management (MoLTM) Migrant Information Centres (MIC) and Employment
Information Centres (EIC) and representatives of Nepali NGOs today
completed a five-day IOM training programme on Safe Migration,
Information Dissemination and Counselling in Kathmandu.

The training was organized by IOM in close collaboration with
the MoLTM and a local NGO – the Pravasi Nepali Coordination
Committee. It was designed to help MIC and EIC staff to provide
better information on overseas employment issues and opportunities
to potential migrants.

According to MoLTM Joint Secretary Purna Chandra Bhattarai, the
ministry plans to upgrade and expand the information centres by
linking them to the Migrant Resource Centre (MRC) established by
the MoLTM and IOM in February 2010.

The MRC, which is located at the Foreign Employment Promotion
Board in Kathmandu, is currently planning to expand its facilities
to two more districts – Jhapa and Chitwan.

Labour migration is critically important to Nepal, which is a
major country of origin for migrant workers and where remittances
account for some 23 per cent of GDP. Some 1.8 million documented
and an estimated 3 million undocumented Nepalis live and work
abroad, mainly in India, Malaysia and the Gulf states.

For more information please contact:

Etsuko Teranishi

IOM Nepal

E-mail: "mailto:eteranishi@iom.int">eteranishi@iom.int

or

Pravina Gurung

IOM Nepal

Tel: +977 1 4425250

E-mail: "mailto:pgurung@iom.int">pgurung@iom.int