Nepal to pay airfare for returning migrant workers who lost families in quake

The Nepalese government has decided to bear the two-way airfare cost of migrant workers overseas returning home for final rites of their family members who died in the devastating earthquake two weeks ago.

The family members, according to the country's Foreign Employment Act 2007, include spouse, son, daughter, mother and father, while for female workers, family member also include father-in-law and mother-in-law.

The Foreign Employment Promotion Board on Monday introduced a directive setting the criteria for migrant workers who have lost one or more members of their family to return home.

"Nepalese workers who lost their family members due to the earthquake and returned home after April 25 will be provided air ticket expenses," said Raghu Raj Kafle, executive director of the board, quoted by The Himalayan newspaper on Tuesday.

According to the English-language newspaper, there are more than 3 million Nepalese workers abroad and a third of all Nepalese households, including 35 percent rural households, have at least one member working and living abroad.

The latest government data show the 7.9-magnitude earthquake that jolted the Himalayan country on April 25 has left 8,151 people dead and 17,866 others injured. Endi