Nepal Is ‘Addicted’ to the Trade in Its Own People

Nepal is ‘addicted’ to the trade in its own people

The money sent back by Nepalis working abroad represents more than a third of the country’s gross domestic product, according to the World Bank.

Nepal’s remittance addiction: How its economy runs on 2.5 million exported workers

Remittances from 2.5 million Nepali migrant workers abroad now account for over a third of the country's GDP, making the economy dangerously dependent on labor exports.Corrupt recruitment agencies charge workers up to 40 times official fees and force them into debt for jobs that rarely match promises, with government enforcement virtually non-existent.Nearly 15,000 Nepali workers have died abroad since 2008, yet the government prioritizes remitt…