Shyam Kumar Gharti of Bhayarbonga in Tamankhola Rural Municipality-2 in Baglung, went to Bahrain illegally in 2007 in search of a job through an agent. He lacked necessary documents, including a labour permit.

Shyam, 41, lost contact six months after reaching Bahrain. His family was unaware about his whereabouts since then. The family’s woes deepened when his mother eloped with another man a year after his departure, leaving behind his deaf father, Lal Bahadur, who, unaware of the procedures, could not pursue a search for his missing son.

Lal Bahadur continued living in the village, surviving on wage labour for years without any information about his son’s whereabouts. It was only in mid-February last year that the Nepali Embassy in Bahrain informed the family that Shyam was in a coma after falling ill.

As the family was unable to take initiative, efforts were made by Joklal Budha, chair of Tamankhola Rural Municipality, Harihar Sharma, vice chair of Jaimini Municipality, and others, who informed the Foreign Employment Board and sought assistance. Migrant Resource Centre counsellor Ganga Kumari Sharma helped send the required documents to the embassy through the Chief District Officer.

Since Shyam had gone abroad illegally, the embassy could not trace his employer. As a result, there was no way to access insurance, relief, or other compensation. With no prior record at the embassy or diplomatic missions, it remained unclear what he had been doing for 19 years.

Over the past two years, Shyam fell ill. After remaining unidentified for a year, he was found in a coma and received treatment. The government of Nepal had to bear the treatment cost as he had been staying illegally. After his identity was confirmed, he was sent back to Nepal after completing the necessary procedures.

Even after returning to Nepal, he remains disabled and bedridden. His mother has died, and his deaf father survives on wage labour. Given the family’s weak financial condition, Tamankhola Rural Municipality has been providing him with food and basic living support.

Sunita Thapa, an employee at the Nepali Embassy in Bahrain, said compensation and insurance could not be provided due to his illegal status in Bahrain, adding that efforts were made to raise funds locally for treatment, but the ongoing conflict in the Gulf has affected these initiatives.

Bhaba Bahadur Kunwar, general secretary of the Bahrain Baglung Contact Committee, said they would try to raise funds for further treatment following his return home. However, he said these efforts have been affected by the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

The government paid nearly Rs 1.5 million for Shyam’s treatment in Bahrain following Cabinet approval. “Handling such cases through Cabinet decisions every time is not easy,” Budha said. “People must go abroad following proper legal procedures.” Data show that most deaths of Nepalis abroad involve those who went illegally, did not perform designated jobs, or failed to renew labour permits on time.

Shyam now lives with his father in Bhayarbonga, about 120 km west of the district headquarters, where financial hardship has taken a toll. “We even faced difficulty in bringing him back. It was only after a lot of effort that we were able to bring him,” Budha said. “At present, their daily expenses are being covered by the municipality.” He added that such support cannot continue indefinitely, and despite humanitarian assistance, their situation remains uncertain due to procedural complications.

Since he worked illegally, it is unclear what work he did, how much he earned, or whether he earned anything at all, Sharma said.

“We were able to safely bring him back to the village, but the family is in a difficult situation,” she said. “It is now necessary to establish a relief fund to support such individuals.” She added that many who go abroad illegally face similar problems and are often not entitled to treatment there, forcing the Nepal government to bear the costs.

According to data from the centre, of 17 deaths of Baglung residents abroad in the current fiscal year, 2025-26, seven involved those who had gone illegally. In the FY 2025–26, 138 workers from Baglung faced problems abroad, of whom 58 have been rescued with support from the District Administration Office.

In fiscal year 2080/81, 17 youths from Baglung died while working abroad. Most were under 40, with the highest number of deaths reported in Saudi Arabia. In the same year, 156 more individuals from Baglung faced various problems abroad, including 137 men and 19 women. The centre continues to provide counselling services to prevent such cases, and more than 9,000 people have received counselling in the current fiscal year, Sharma said.