As the ongoing war in West Asia shows no sign of ending, at least 6,000 Nepalis living and working in various countries in the Gulf have applied to return home, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday. Around 3 million Nepalis, including both officially registered and unregistered workers, live and work in the region.

Speaking at a press conference, the ministry’s spokesman Lok Bahadur Poudel Chhetri stated that a total of 82,100 Nepalis have filled out online forms, and among them, around 6,000 have mentioned that they are in unsafe situations and want to return home.

With increasing risks due to the war between the US-Israeli coalition and Iran since February-end, the government recently launched an online platform and asked Nepalis to register their details so that authorities could contact them quickly if evacuation is needed.

According to Chhetri, the number of Nepalis reporting unsafe conditions has, however, been decreasing.

"The online registration system launched by the Consular Service Department has been used by 82,100 people to register their details. Nearly 6,000 people had mentioned feeling unsafe. However, the number of people reporting being unsafe has significantly decreased in recent days," he said.

He added that the ministry is continuously gathering information and monitoring the situation through its 10 missions, and coordinating necessary actions.

"Furthermore, our Emergency Control Room has received 170 contacts, including 78 calls. Most early contacts were about seeking information regarding security, while more recent queries have been about when labor approvals would reopen."

During the press conference, joint secretary at the ministry, Ram Kaji Khadka, said that Iranian authorities have detained a Nepali citizen, who works on a ship, from the Hormuz region.

"The Iranian authorities have arrested a Nepali citizen, Amit Jha, from the Hormuz area and taken him into custody," said Khadka, who heads the West Asia Division at the ministry.

No further details have been provided regarding the reason for the arrest.

Iran reportedly took the ship’s all crew members into custody. Jha’s family members had informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the incident.

Since the war broke out on February 28, a total of 30 Nepalis have sustained minor injuries in various countries, and except for one, all have been treated and sent back, according to the foreign ministry. Chhetri said the person currently receiving treatment has minor injuries.

During the press conference, he also informed that seven Nepali nationals have been detained by UAE authorities for uploading and sharing online war-related videos. Those detained allegedly took photos and videos of fallen drones and missiles and posted them on social media.

According to the ministry, those arrested could face up to one year in prison and a fine of up to 100,000 dirhams [around Rs4 million]. The ministry has also urged people not to share such content, even in private messages, as it is prohibited.

Due to the ongoing war, the government has stopped issuing Gulf labour permits to Nepali citizens. However, those who had arrived in Nepal before the war and need to return are being granted entry permits. Some Nepalis were also stuck in the transit in various Gulf countries. By Friday, all Nepali nationals have left for their respective destinations.

“All Nepali nationals stranded in transit in the Gulf countries have been rescued,” said Chettri, adding that 33 Nepali nationals remaining in Kuwait have also obtained Saudi Arabian visas and are in the process of flying.

Chhetri said no Nepali citizen is currently stranded in transit in the region, and that 52 Hajj pilgrims who were in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, have already returned to Nepal.

He assured that the government remains serious about the safety of Nepali nationals in the Middle East and is ready to carry out rescue operations if necessary.