Kathmandu, Aug. 14 -- Limited job opportunities, political turmoil and economic conflicts in Gulf countries and Malaysia have resulted in a decline in the number of Nepalis leaving for these countries that are considered popular labour destinations.

Government statistics show that for the past two consecutive years, fewer Nepali workers are applying for jobs in labour destination countries.

According to the Department of Foreign Employment, nearly 1,400 Nepali workers left the country every day to work in foreign countries in the fiscal year 2018-19. In the same period, a total of 508,828 aspiring migrant workers received work permits for as many as 136 foreign countries.

In 2017-18, 612,685 work permits were issued for 142 countries, ...