From the <i>Lahureys</i> to the Russia-Ukraine War: Nepal’s Culture of Migration Through a Multi-scalar Lens

This article explores the historical evolution and persistence of Nepal’s deeply rooted culture of migration, framing transnational migration as a central social institution. Adopting a multi-scalar perspective, the article examines how migration practices have adapted to shifting political, economic, and global conditions. Through conjunctural analysis, it traces the trajectory from colonial-era military enlistment and seasonal labour migration to modern contract work in the Gulf and Malaysia. The article discusses how migration is shaped by intersecting systems of economic structures, state policies, cultural norms, and transnational networks, while also attending to the social, symbolic, and aspirational dimensions that inform individual and collective decisions to migrate. Emerging patterns such as irregular, desperation-driven and lifestyle-oriented migration to the Global North are examined as contemporary manifestations of Nepal’s enduring migratory disposition. By conceptualizing migration as a culturally embedded life strategy imbued with moral and social value, the article discusses how historical context, community expectations, national governance, and global labour regimes interact to sustain and transform migration culture. In doing so, the article offers insights for migration studies by emphasizing the generational transmission, multi-scalar influences, and cultural logics that underpin migration culture in the Global South.