Paper short abstract:

This study examines the relationship between emigrant transnational civil society and the government of the origin country, focusing on the Non-resident Nepalis Association and the Nepalese government. A unilateral, corporatist-like relationship is observed, one that crosses national boundaries.

Paper long abstract:

This presentation examines the relationship between emigrants' transnational civil societies and the governments of the emigrants' home countries. Using a case study, the author analyzes the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA), a transnational civil society institution, and its relationship with the Nepalese Government.

Since the 1990s, the liberalization of travel abroad and political turbulence has precipitated the mass migration of Nepalis to various destinations beyond South Asia. In 2003, emigrants established the NRNA, which consists of Nepalese emigrants living in 75 countries. This organization provides them with a broad platform for holding discussions, conducting collective activities, forming opinions, and conducting negotiations with the Nepalese Government. Motivated by long-distance nationalism, a sense of responsibility for Nepal's development, and business interests and opportunities in Nepal, the NRNA cooperates with the government on implementing development policies, voluntarily shoulders some of the government's duties, and even accepts governmental inspection of its management. On the other hand, to promote emigrant investments in Nepal, the government granted emigrants special citizenship status with economic rights in 2015.

Though domestic civil society institutions can hold the government accountable, despite the county's political liberalization, because the NRNA lacks voting rights and its members live in foreign countries, the NRNA cannot adopt syndicalist strategies. However, a corporatist-like relationship has developed in the close dealings that occur between the NRNA and the Nepalese Government, and the NRNA is being co-opted into the state apparatus, as interest groups are being co-opted in other neo-corporatist states [Wiarda 1997].