Lecture Series

Jagannath Adhikari
on
Globalisation and the Securitisation of Migration: The Context of Nepali Foreign Labour Migrants and Sustainable Livelihood

Migrant labourers currently face two concurrent processes: an increase in globalisation and the securitisation of migration. While the former has provided opportunities in international labour migration, the latter, relating to the linking of migration with security concerns, has created difficulties to it. Nepali labourers have been able to increase their access to the ‘global labour market’ mainly through their own efforts, although not without much difficulty, and remittance is now considered the main contributor to poverty reduction in the country. Still, this sector has its own share of problems. Concerns are being raised over the growing number of abuses of human and labour rights of the migrant labourers. Questions have also been raised over the actual contribution of international labour migration to the sustainable livelihood of the people. Advocacy for de-securitisation of migration in order to improve human security at both labour-receiving and -sending countries, provision of social protection and opportunities to increase the capacity of migrant labourers, and the preservation of their human rights will significantly benefit them in the process of globalisation.

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Jagannath Adhikari is a social scientist interested in researching various aspects of development – labour migration, food security, environmental justice and resource management, urban change, etc. His first book The Beginnings of Agrarian Change looks at changes in society and the economy brought about by foreign income. In New Lahure, which he has co-authored, foreign labour migration and its impact on rural livelihood are discussed in detail. Other publications of his include Pokhara: Biography of a Town, Debate on Poverty in Nepal and Food Crisis in Nepal. For the last three years, he has been working as Convener of Martin Chautari, Thapathali, Kathmandu.