Nepal and Germany Sign Pact for Legal Labor Migration

In a significant development aimed at fostering stronger ties and promoting fair and legal labor migration between Nepal and Germany, the two nations have signed a Joint Declaration of Intent (JDoI). The signing ceremony took place on Tuesday, with Ram Kaji Khadka, Nepali Ambassador to Germany, and Michael van der Cammen, Director of International Affairs at the German Federal Employment Agency, signing on behalf of their respective governments.

The signing event was attended by notable figures, including Minister for Labor, Employment, and Social Security Sharat Singh Bhandari from Nepal and Leonie Gebers, State Secretary (Deputy Minister) of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs in Germany.

The JDoI marks the culmination of a bilateral meeting between high-level delegations from both countries. The discussions during the meeting encompassed various aspects of the Nepal-Germany bilateral relationship, with a specific focus on skilled labor migration, Nepal’s commitment to legal migration, workers’ welfare and social security, German language and vocational training, and circular migration.

Both delegations expressed their satisfaction with the recent expansion of relations between the two nations and underlined the importance of the JDoI as the first step in a roadmap for fair and legal labor migration from Nepal to Germany.

Leonie Gebers, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, highlighted the significance of the JDoI in creating an institutional framework to facilitate the employment of skilled Nepali workers based on the demands of the German job market. She also noted the streamlined process for recruiting foreign skilled workers in Germany under the recent German Skilled Immigration Act.

The Nepali delegation, led by Minister Bhandari, comprised Labor Secretary Kewal Prasad Bhandari, Ambassador Khadka, and other officials from relevant Nepali ministries and the Embassy of Nepal in Berlin. The German delegation, led by State Secretary Gebers, included high-ranking officials from the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the Federal Employment Agency, and other relevant German government departments.

This Joint Declaration of Intent sets the stage for an enhanced partnership between Nepal and Germany, promoting legal labor migration, and fostering cooperation in various aspects of labor and social welfare, reinforcing the bonds between the two nations.