Safer Migration Project (SaMi) is a bilateral initiative of the Governments of Nepal (GoN) and Switzerland.
SaMi phase III is implemented by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security (MoLESS) and local governments with the technical assistance of Helvetas Nepal.
Under this project, PNCC provides immediate support to distressed migrant workers by mobilizing outreach support mechanism established in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia which came into operation since 2012 under the financial support of Swiss Development Corporation (SDC).
Supporting migrant workers and their families facing these difficult situations in the destination countries is a major priority of the Safer Migration (SaMi) project work to strengthen the protection of migrant workers.
For instance, since 2013 the project has linked the migrants and their families in need to the available support mechanism in Nepal as well as the countries of destination. It has identified large number of missing migrants who were out of contact for a long period. In close coordination with Nepalese Embassies in destination countries, the Department of Consular and the Foreign Employment Board (FEB), the SaMi projects has rescued hundreds of stranded migrant workers, supported in repatriating the dead bodies of migrants and to access to financial assistances from FEB and insurance companies. The project has further linked the children of deceased and disabled migrants to the scholarship program established by FEB.
To address all these issues SaMi/Helvetas entered into the partnership with Pravasi Nepali Coordination Committee which has expertise in providing assistance and support to Nepalese migrants in difficult situation in destination countries.
The project neither intends to discourage Nepali citizens nor does it intend to encourage for foreign employment. It intends to support Nepali potential migrants, both women and men by providing them with accurate and relevant information on foreign employment so that they can make informed decision whether to go for labour migration or not. The project primarily focuses on following broader areas of interventions:
-Access to information
-Access to Justice (including shelter and other support to returnee migrants)
-Access to vocational skill training
-Reducing social cost of migration
-Capacitating civil society for advocacy and lobbying
-Strengthening service delivery and monitoring capacity of government
The overall goal of the project is “Migrants (Male/Female/ Marginalized groups) and their families are better protected by Nepali institutions in Nepal and benefit from decent work conditions abroad.”
-To support distressed Nepalese migrant workers in destination countries or their families referred by the Migrant Resources Center (MRCs) under SaMi project and national partners.
-To assist distressed Nepali migrant workers with rapid response and remedial services coming through MRCs and national partners or directly from migrant workers and their families.