Rita (name changed), a 33-year-old woman from Galkot Municipality in Baglung, flew to Oman on a tourist visa hoping to earn a livelihood. Instead, she ended up working illegally as a domestic help, where she endured severe abuse and violence. With no legal protection or contract, she couldn’t claim wages or seek justice. After suffering for months, she contacted the Migrant Resource Centre in Baglung, which coordinated with the Nepali Embassy to rescue and repatriate her. Though she safely returned, her struggles are far from over.

She had left for Oman after her husband—who had gone to South Korea—suddenly stopped sending money and remarried. With children to raise and no support, she saw overseas work as her only option. But her tourist visa and lack of a labour contract excluded her from formal state assistance. Now, back in Nepal, she is jobless, struggling to raise her two children, and in search of support.

It is not an isolated case. A youth from Tamankhola Rural Municipality in Baglung left for Bahrain 18 years ago and lost contact with his family. He has now fallen seriously ill. Bringing him back would cost over Rs1.4 million, an impossible sum for his ailing, disabled father in Nepal. Despite the family's plea, the Migrant Resource Centre is unable to repatriate him due to his illegal status. Ironically, the burden of his return falls entirely on the family.

According to Min Prasad Upadhyaya, coordinator of the Safer Migration Programme in Baglung, such cases are on the rise. “People are bypassing the formal labour migration process and going abroad on tourist visas. Many end up in trouble—some injured, some even dead,” he said. “Without legal documentation, it’s extremely difficult to provide compensation, insurance or even rescue.”

The centre’s records for the current fiscal year of 2024-25 show that at least seven individuals from Baglung who migrated illegally died abroad this year. Another 10, who had legal labour permits, also lost their lives—among them, one woman. While families of legally migrated workers are eligible for relief and compensation, those who left without fulfilling formalities receive nothing.

Ganga Sharma Rijal, a counsellor at the centre, emphasised the risks of irregular migration. “We provide counseling to every individual who comes to make a passport, warning them about the dangers. Yet, many still take illegal routes,” she said. “Only a few can be rescued, and that too with great effort and the support of embassy staff.”

Out of 138 workers from Baglung who faced problems abroad this year, 58 have been successfully rescued—22 with the facilitation of the District Administration Office. In the previous fiscal year of 2023-24, seventeen workers from Baglung died abroad, most under the age of 40. Saudi Arabia topped the list of countries with the highest number of deaths.

In that same year, 156 migrant workers from the district—137 men and 19 women—faced various forms of hardship overseas. The centre provided counselling services to 8,770 individuals as part of its awareness and support programme.

Adding to the crisis, a growing number of people have fallen victim to financial fraud while seeking foreign employment. Thousands of rupees have been swindled by unscrupulous agents promising jobs abroad.

The plight of Rita and others like her reflects a harsh reality: when people skip the legal process in desperation, they not only forfeit protection but often face life-threatening situations.

According to Upadhyaya, the Migrant Resource Centre has been counselling foreign job aspirants so that they won’t face any legal and other problems during their stint in labour destinations. He said the centre provided counselling to 8,770 foreign job aspirants in the current fiscal year.

While such resource centres and embassies in the respective country continue to play a vital role in rescue efforts, experts say only strict enforcement of migration laws and stronger public awareness can curb the growing crisis of illegal migration.

The number of migrant workers from Baglung, a hill district of Gandaki province, is on the rise. As per the data available at the District Administration Office, the number of people acquiring passports is around 5,000 more than those acquiring citizenship certificates. A total of 8,411 people acquired citizenship in the last fiscal year of 2023-24 while 13,059 people obtained passports mainly for working abroad.