I flew from Kathmandu to Abu Dhabi last Saturday night in a much better position than most of my fellow passengers. How many Nepali labourers migrating to the Gulf countries for work lose their dignity before ever leaving Kathmandu? Please, somebody tell me that in some donor office, there is a budget line for a Citizen's Advice Bureau, money for an institution that provides free legal information to wannabe migrant workers, an office that investigates the credibility of manpower agencies, checks the fees being charged, the services being offered, the contracts being signed and assists those who feel they have been mistreated or cheated. Tell me, that in some annual report there is a budget line big enough to provide fair salaries for a team of well trained, committed staff who have the skills to answer the last minute concerns or anxieties of migrating workers with respect and seriousness-instead of treating labour migrants like a herd of stupid school boys, country bumpkins or prospective terrorists as the frustrated low ranking officials at Kathmandu airport do. It is not necessary for further research into support services for those who migrate overseas for work. There is no need for the production of more overly consulted baseline studies, or yawn-yawn mandate heavy, textually diplomatic, policy positioning. Please, tell me that there an original, immediate, socially responsive and socially responsible intervention to support Nepalis workers travelling overseas for work is taking place right now.

Jamie Cross,
University of Sussex, UK