KATHMANDU: The need for policy reform has been highlighted for making foreign employment safe and dignified.

The number of Nepalis who have departed for abroad jobs by taking labour permit counts five million while around 500,000 Nepalis go on foreign employment annually, according to the latest information provided by the National Planning Commission.

Speakers at an interaction programme on safe foreign employment organised here, on Thursday by People Forum on the occasion of the International Migrants Day stressed the need for policy reform and drew the attention of the concerned bodies for promoting safer destinations for the migrant workers.

The International Migrants Day is on 18 December. The theme of the International Migrants Day this year is 'Safe Migration in a World on the Move.'

Forum advisor and advocate Som Luintel said that the campaign from policy reform to awareness generation should be launched for making foreign employment safe and dignified. He said the government was preparing to amend the Foreign Employment Act and the draft of amendment has been sent to the Ministry of Law and Justice for its technical inputs.

Advocate Narendra Khanal stressed the need of taking the sensitisation programmes to the rural areas for safer foreign employment.

On the occasion, journalist Sunil Neupane presented a working paper titled 'Role of Journalists for Safe Foreign Employment.'