Most migrants work abroad for a fixed number of years. Employment contracts end, renewals are uncertain, and many workers are abroad without their children or families. Over time, this family separation, combined with visa limits, job insecurity, health concerns, or the need to care for ageing parents, pushes workers to return home.
But while they are living away from home, workers face long working hours, family pressure, rising expenses, and emotional stress. Saving and investing are often postponed. Many think, पहिले कमाउँछु, पछि सोचौँला – first I will earn, later I will think.
But 'later' often comes too late.
I regularly meet migrant workers who earned consistently for years but returned home with little savings, no regular income and no updated skills. As one returnee put it, "going abroad was hard, but coming back was harder." Another told me: "I sent money every month, but I never learned how to save or invest." By the time he returned, inflation had already reduced the value of his earnings, and his daily expenses had doubled.
In both cases, the issue was not a lack of hard work. It was a lack of financial guidance while they were earning. When the salary stops and the cost of living continues to rise, the absence of planning turns return into a crisis rather than a transition. Even basic inflation-beating saving or investment knowledge could change outcomes.
This is why financial planning and skill development are critical. Migration should not only be about sending remittances; it should be about preparing for life after migration.
Awareness is protection
A close friend of mine once received a job offer for seasonal work in the UK. The documents looked professional, and the opportunity sounded promising, so he quit his job and sent over the necessary personal documents and $400 for a "work permit processing charge", which he was told would be refunded upon arrival.
When he shared the details with me, I immediately recognised signs of fraud.
Days later, the same people asked him for another $600 for "visa processing". This follows a familiar pattern, with fraudsters making an initial request for a smaller amount of money and gradually inventing new reasons to demand more. I shared similar cases with him to stop the process before further harm.
Many migrants are not as lucky. Fraud related to job and visa offers has become increasingly common. Similar scams appear through fake lottery wins, parcel messages, and cheap shopping offers. These scams thrive not because migrants are careless, but because trusted information is limited and pressure to find opportunities is high.
One thing is clear: awareness changes outcomes...
You can read the rest of this article here.
No comments: