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🇳🇵 Nepal /Culture & Society

Understaffed Nepal missions struggle to serve booming diaspora

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Nepal's diplomatic missions abroad are severely understaffed, struggling to meet the needs of a growing diaspora.
  • Missions lack personnel and resources to provide routine consular services efficiently, let alone pursue broader diplomatic and economic goals.
  • Japan exemplifies the issue, with its embassy having only four diplomatic staff for over 342,000 Nepalis, hindering its ability to assist citizens and foster bilateral ties.

Nepal's diplomatic missions are buckling under the strain of severe understaffing, failing to keep pace with the rapidly expanding Nepali diaspora worldwide. While the government pledges to bolster missions for economic diplomacy and export promotion, a critical shortage of personnel and resources hampers even basic consular services.

The embassy in Japan serves as a stark illustration. Established in 1965 when only 1,000 Nepalis resided there, the mission began with three diplomatic staff. Today, with the Nepali community in Japan ballooning to approximately 342,000, the embassy operates with just four diplomatic staff, including a vacant ambassadorial post for the past 11 months. "The Nepali diaspora is growing every day, but the resources and staffing of the embassy have not increased accordingly," said Harihar Kant Poudel, chargé d’affaires ad interim.

This staffing deficit translates into significant delays for consular services. What once took same-day service now requires applicants to leave documents and return later. The embassy issued about 19,000 passports last fiscal year, a task that now overwhelms the limited staff. The workload is so intense that staff are busy even on weekly holidays, impacting their ability to respond to emergencies.

Last year, the embassy had to manage the complex administrative and legal procedures for 73 Nepali citizens who died in Japan, including repatriation of remains and compensation claims. Staff often find themselves tied up with routine consular work, struggling to visit hospitals, police stations, or immigration detention centers. The embassy's capacity to engage in economic diplomacy, crucial for attracting investment and trade from Japan, is also severely curtailed due to the lack of personnel to pursue these broader objectives.

There were three staff members 61 years ago. Now there are four of us. The Nepali diaspora is growing every day, but the resources and staffing of the embassy have not increased accordingly.

— Harihar Kant Poudel, chargé d’affaires ad interimPoudel highlights the stark contrast between the growth of the Nepali community in Japan and the stagnant staffing levels at the Nepali embassy.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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