Migrant departures turn into exodus as Nepal's economy stalls.

In the last three years, even as the coronavirus strangled the economy and rendered tens of thousands jobless, more than 1 million Nepalis left the country to find work in faraway lands.

Analysts say departures may reach that level in just this fiscal year 2022-23 as political instability stalls economic growth.

Official statistics show that 347,340 Nepalis had left the country by the first five-month period ended mid-December; and if the momentum keeps up, the 1-million figure isn't far away, they say.

The exodus of young people from Madhesh and Province 1, in particular, has raised concerns as the two provinces in the Tarai flatlands are known as the country's food basket. According to the...