Nepalis who seek employment overseas face hardships at every step. With greater vigilance and commitment from the government, many of these challenges could be prevented. Since job opportunities within Nepal remain scarce, labour migration has become a necessity. Yet, while working abroad, Nepali workers are often denied the facilities promised under their contracts and are left without adequate guidance or support from their own government. Although Nepal has established embassies and deployed labour attachés in several countries, such measures alone are insufficient. Even in the absence of such posts, state officials must remain committed to safeguarding citizens abroad. Harsh weather conditions, excessive workloads and unsafe working environments have already claimed the lives of many Nepalis prematurely. The recent tragedy in Kuwait, where 16 Nepali workers died after consuming methanol-laced alcohol, is a grim reminder of government negligence. These workers—mostly with only basic literacy, far from their families, and labouring under extreme conditions—needed regular counselling and strong institutional backing. Instead, they felt abandoned by the very government that should have protected them.
Reports say more than 160 others are still being treated in local hospitals after consuming the same toxic alcohol. Survivors now face legal prosecution as Kuwaiti law prohibits alcohol consumption. This highlights another critical gap: our government and its institutions have failed to properly educate migrant workers about the laws of their host countries. Manpower companies, too, bear responsibility. They have earned enormous profits from migrant workers but have failed to deliver the necessary services and protections. In Arab states and Malaysia, countless Nepalis endure dire conditions, yet these issues receive little attention. Manpower agencies have largely escaped accountability, shielded by their collusion with political parties and bureaucrats. By contrast, in some countries workers migrate under transparent, government-to-government agreements and reap real benefits. Instead of replicating such models, our government has often dismantled fair systems to serve the interests of manpower agencies. A recent example is the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security’s move to involve manpower agencies in sending “skilled” workers abroad. This has disrupted the relatively transparent and efficient system of sending workers to South Korea through direct language exams. Such an interference risks opening doors to fake skill certificates, inflated fees and greater exploitation—benefiting manpower agencies while harming workers. Labour migration should be based primarily on government-to-government agreements, ensuring fairness and transparency. Undermining these systems in favour of middlemen is indefensible.
The recurring hardships of Nepalis abroad are rooted in the failure of our institutions to guarantee proper work arrangements. The government must negotiate job quotas, match workers with employers fairly and establish robust monitoring mechanisms to ensure that workers receive the facilities and protections they are promised. Widespread negligence, coupled with the irresponsibility of manpower companies, has left workers vulnerable. The Kuwait tragedy makes one thing clear: the fault does not rest solely with the workers. The government failed to warn them, counsel them and monitor their safety. As labour migration will inevitably continue, the state must establish regular updates on workers’ conditions, provide consistent support and negotiate strong agreements with destination countries. Many foreign governments are willing to cooperate—Nepal simply needs to act decisively. If the government cannot ensure the safety and dignity of its citizens abroad, it fails in its most fundamental duty. This tragedy must serve as a wake-up call.