Safer Migration (SaMi) Project
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
|
- 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
- Central State of South East
- HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation
- Ministry of Labour and Employment (MoLE) Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation
-
Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation GOVERNMENT AND CIVIL SOCIETY
EDUCATION
EDUCATION
Sub-Sector according to the OECD Developement Assistance Commitiee categorisation Facilitation of orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility
Basic life skills for youth and adults
Vocational training
Cross-cutting topics Specific project on gender equality.
The project takes account of democratisation, good governance and human rights as cross-cutting themes.
The project also supports partner organisation improvements
Type of support Official development assistance (ODA)
Type of collaboration Bilateral cooperation
Finance type Aid grant
Aid Type Mandate with fiduciary funds
Project and programme contribution
Tied/untied aid Untied aid
Project number 7F07207
| 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 |
|
| 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 |
| 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) |