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Nepal Now: On the MoveAuthor: Marty Logan
We're talking with the people migrating from, to, and within this Himalayan country located between China and India. You'll hear from a wide range of Nepali men and women who have chosen to leave the country for better work or education opportunities. Their stories will help you understand what drives people in Nepal and worldwide to mortgage their property or borrow huge sums of money to go abroad, often leaving their loved ones behind.Despite many predictions, migration from Nepal has not slowed in recent years, except briefly during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. About 1 million Nepalis leave every year to work at jobs outside the country. Tens of thousands go abroad to study. Far fewer return to Nepal to settle. The money ('remittances') that workers send home to their families accounts for 25% of the country's GDP, but migration impacts Nepal in many other ways. We'll be learning from migrants, experts and others about the many cultural, social, economic and political impacts of migration. Your host is Marty Logan, a Canadian journalist who has lived in Nepal's capital Kathmandu off and on since 2005. Marty started the show in 2020 as Nepal Now. Language: en-gb Genres: News, Politics, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Bibek returned to Nepal, but he plans to return to Canada stronger
Episode 2
Saturday, 7 March, 2026
Send a textBibek Poudel had a very detailed plan for succeeding in Canada. He would graduate from college, then work to gain experience in his IT field, setting himself up as a digital nomad—someone who could get a job and support himself basically anywhere, at any time. Then his luck ran out. On March 1st Bibek flew back to Nepal after five years, without getting permanent residency (PR). But in today's episode he tells me that is not an entirely bad development, and that he has another detailed plan to return.Unlike Aayush Pokharel, who we talked to in our last episode, Bibek hit significant delays on his journey to PR status. He graduated, but had to strengthen a few specific skills before he could start a job. Then he had to wait to apply for an opening in the IT workstream that would lead to his PR until his employer had been given the green light. By the time that approval came, the Ontario government decided it no longer needed skilled IT workers and Bibek had to shift to a category that requires more points to qualify than he had. Eventually he just ran out of time.Both Bibek and Aayush were well entrenched in Canada when the federal government started shutting the door to international students a couple of years ago. They had, and still have, good opportunities to succeed. But many other students are likely to cross Canada off of their list of countries to study in. I've been hearing that Australia is again a preferred destination. It's closer to Nepal and has a huge Nepali diaspora.Support the showShow your love by sending this episode to someone who you think might be interested or by sharing it on social media:LinkedInInstagram BlueSkyFacebook Music by audionautix.com. Nepal Now is produced and hosted by Marty Logan.
