Safer Migration (SaMi) Project

Project completed

SaMi addresses the needs of Nepali men and women who migrate to the Middle East and Southeast Asia on short term labour contracts. To reduce the financial and social costs of migration and to increase its financial benefits, the project facilitates access to relevant information, pre-departure skills trainings, legal and psychosocial support. SaMI also strengthens government’s capacity to effectively implement the labour migration policy and protect migrants. Some 170’000 people will benefit from the project over four years.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Nepal
Employment & economic development
Migration
Education
Vocational training
Labour migration
Basic life skills
Vocational training
16.07.2013 - 31.12.2020
CHF 13'676'000
Background

The decade long armed conflict between government forces of Nepal and Maoists and the ensuing fragile transition has led to a stagnant economy. As a result, labour migration has become a central pillar of Nepals’ economy and about 400,000 men and women leave the country every year to seek work, mostly in the Middle East and Malaysia. While every second household now receives remittances, the governments’ migration management and protection system has remained weak. Recruitment agents provide false documents at exorbitant costs; workers and particularly women are exploited and abused abroad without adequate support from the Nepal government and many migrant families at home disintegrate.

Objectives

Contribute to "safer and more beneficial migration for men and women“.

Target groups

Women and men who prepare to migrate, in-service migrants and returnees; families of migrants. Provision of services in 19 districts. Selected services open to migrants from all 75 districts (vocational skills trainings, legal aid, shelter, information for departing migrants).

Medium-term outcomes

  • Outcome 1: Men and women migrants and their families reduce the social and economic costs of foreign employment and increase its benefits.
  • Outcome 2: The government of Nepal has created systems and mechanisms to effectively implement the Foreign Employment Policy 2012
  • Results

    Results from previous phases:  

    In the short first phase (2 years) the project has gained the respect of the Government of Nepal and the civil society through its innovative work in two districts and its quality inputs into the policy dialogue. To date, almost 11,000 persons accessed the information provided by SaMI, 485 participated in pre-departure skills trainings; 400 migrants received free legal aid and 310 victimized women migrants benefited from the shelter and psychosocial support. The GoN was supported to analyze gaps in its service delivery capacity which will have to be addressed in the next phase in order to enable the line ministry and its department of foreign employment to implement the policy and legal provisions. SaMI also realized that more has to be invested to address the social costs of migration.


    Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
    Credit area Development cooperation
    Project partners Contract partner
    Foreign state institution
    Swiss Non-profit Organisation
    • Central State of South East
    • HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation
    • Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation


    Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF   13'676'000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF   13'498'910
    Project phases

    Phase 2 16.07.2013 - 31.12.2020   (Completed)

    Phase 1 01.02.2010 - 15.07.2013   (Completed)