Migration has become a serious issue in Nepal: Minister Basnet

Minister for Health and Population, Mohan Bahadur Basnet, has said it was necessary to solve the problems of migration, as the problem created due to internal and external migration has become serious.

At a programme organised at the collaboration of the Health Ministry and International Organisation for Migration (IOM) here today, Minister Basnet shared that the existing problems of migration could be resolved through effective implementation of planned development concept and improving governance capacity.

"Although efforts were taken to address the problems of migration in the 15th Periodic Plan and National Population Policy-2072, problems have not been resolved yet. The three tiers of government should be alert about these problems," he mentioned.

The Health Minister further said problems of migration could be addressed by managing means and resources, building capacity, coordinating in development and enhancing internal economy.

The population of villages of the country is decreasing and the country has facing a situation where it has to hire human resources out of the country for development in lack of required human resources in Nepal due to the migration, he viewed.

The Health Minister stressed that a time has come to collectively address the problems and challenges surfaced due to migration.

Minister Basnet added that the population of Tarai area is increasing following the decrease in mountain and hilly regions and the trend of migrating to foreign countries is also increasing.

He shared that big hospitals of the country could be developed as the Institute of Medical Education Studies.

Similarly, Health Secretary Dev Kumari Guragain said, "Misbalance has been seen between the population and development due to poverty, illiteracy, geographical difficulties, unmanaged settlement and migration. Its impact is increasing in domestic production and overall economy."

The fertility rate is decreasing, the average life expectancy is increasing, brain drain of youths is increasing and population of senior citizens is increasing in the country, she added.

Likewise, IOM Chief of Nepal for Mission, Helene Fors, shared that migration is one important aspect for achieving goals related to sustainable development.

It would also help in making the policy of Nepal from analysis of the trend of increase and decline of population, added Fors.