Stranded in the Shadows

A Migrant’s Tale of Betrayal

As the cold winter months descended, a man was lying in the bushes outside the grand homes of Kathmandu, shivering in the harsh chill. While heaters hummed in cozy houses, this man had nothing but the earth and grass to sleep on, with no warmth to shield him from the biting cold.?

His journey had started far from these streets, in the village of Biratnagar, where he once owned a small piece of land and dreamed of a better life for his family.

The Promise of a Better Life

Like many others from rural Nepal, he had been lured by the promise of a better future abroad. The Gulf countries—Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—offered the allure of work and the possibility of sending money home to escape poverty. Desperation often leads to hope, and hope leads him to sell everything he has. His land, and his belongings, had all gone to a middleman who promised him a job in the Gulf. In exchange for everything he owned, he was promised a path to a better life for his family.

The story of migration from Nepal to the Gulf is repeated across the country, especially in the rural areas where unemployment and poverty make migration appear as the only option. Families hope that their loved ones working abroad will send money home, creating a brighter future for them. Migrants, like this man, believe that they will work hard, save, and return with enough money to make their family’s life better.

The Harsh Reality of Migration

But upon arriving in Kathmandu, the man was abandoned. The middleman, who had taken his savings, vanished, leaving him stranded in a city he didn’t know, without money, without work, and unable to speak Nepali. In a “foreign land” with no way to communicate and no support network, he was forced into the grim reality of survival. Unable to find work or a way out, he was left with no choice but to beg on the streets.

His dreams of a brighter future, of sending money home to his family, had turned to dust.

This man’s story is not an isolated one. Every day, over 1,500 Nepali migrant workers leave their homes in search of work abroad, driven by the same hopes and promises. The Gulf countries, especially Qatar, have long been a destination for Nepali laborers. Migrants are promised jobs in construction, domestic work, and other industries, but the reality for many is exploitation, abuse, and a broken system that leaves them vulnerable and trapped. In Qatar, where vast infrastructure projects like the World Cup stadiums were being built, laborers were subjected to dangerous conditions, with reports of thousands of migrant workers dying from unsafe working conditions, heat stroke, and accidents. Nepali workers, like the man in Kathmandu, are particularly vulnerable to these abuses.

The Exploitation of Nepali Workers in the Gulf

Many of these migrant workers, including those from Nepal, face horrendous working conditions, grueling hours in sweltering heat, overcrowded living conditions, and lack of access to basic healthcare and food.?

Workers report being forced to work for 12 to 16 hours a day in extreme heat, sometimes even without proper hydration or breaks. Despite the high risks involved, the construction of stadiums, highways, and luxury buildings in countries like Qatar relies heavily on this cheap, migrant labor force.

Even when workers are promised decent wages, many are forced to work for months without pay, or in some cases, never receive the wages promised. To make matters worse, employers often confiscate workers’ passports, leaving them trapped with no ability to return home or change jobs. The working conditions are often so harsh that a significant number of workers die due to heat exhaustion, accidents, or suicide. Human rights organizations have documented the deaths of thousands of migrant workers in the Gulf, many of whom were never compensated for their labor.

The cycle of exploitation doesn't end there. Brokers and recruitment agencies, who often act as intermediaries between workers and employers, prey on the desperation of poor Nepalis. These middlemen charge exorbitant fees to secure overseas employment, fees that often lead workers into debt before they even set foot in the Gulf. Upon arrival, many migrants find that the jobs they were promised either don’t exist or are far less desirable than they were led to believe. They’re trapped in a system designed to exploit their labor, with no clear way out.

?The Legal Protections That Fail

Nepal has laws in place to protect migrant workers, including the Foreign Employment Act (1993), which is meant to safeguard Nepali workers from abuse abroad. However, the enforcement of these laws remains weak. Many migrants, especially those from rural areas, are unaware of their rights or unable to seek help once they are abroad. Corruption within the recruitment system allows brokers to continue operating unchecked, and legal protections on paper often fail to reach those who need them the most.

Despite the legal framework, migrant workers are often left to fend for themselves when they face abuse or exploitation. Nepali embassies in the Gulf countries are often criticized for their slow response to migrant worker issues, and many workers find themselves in a desperate situation, with little support from the Nepali government. As a result, many migrant workers find themselves stuck in a system where they are powerless to change their circumstances.

The Plight of Stranded Migrants

In addition to those facing exploitation, there is a growing number of Nepali migrants who find themselves stranded in foreign countries without their passports or any means of support.

The Department of Foreign Employment in Nepal estimates that 150,000 Nepali workers are stranded abroad each year due to false promises or illegal recruitment practices.

These workers are often left abandoned by recruitment agencies or employers, unable to return home due to a lack of resources or legal support. Their families, back in Nepal, are left in the dark, unsure of their loved ones' fate.

The man in Kathmandu, once a landowner and hopeful migrant, is just one of many who have been lured by false promises and left to fend for themselves. His experience is a truthful reminder of the dangers of an unregulated migration system that preys on the dreams of the poor and vulnerable.

Thousands of Nepali workers who leave their homes with the hope of building a better life end up trapped in abusive and dangerous conditions, with no clear way out.

A Future Stuck in the Shadows

Now, instead of sending money home to his family, the man found himself struggling each day to stay alive, lying in the shadows of the very walls that once represented everything he had hoped for. He is a reminder of the often unseen costs of migration, the exploitation, and the broken promises that leave so many stranded and hopeless in unfamiliar lands.

For those who migrate in search of a better life, the betrayal doesn’t just happen abroad. It begins long before they leave their homes. In Nepal, millions of young men and women, like the man in Kathmandu, are left with no choice but to seek work abroad because the country’s economic system does not provide them with opportunities at home. Poverty, unemployment, and lack of education push them to take drastic measures. When they finally venture to a foreign land, they often find themselves betrayed once again by corrupt middlemen, exploitative employers, and weak enforcement of laws meant to protect them.

So, where do they go when they are finally crushed by a system that leaves them voiceless??

When their own country fails them, when promises from foreign employers turn into broken dreams, where can these people turn to be heard? The sad truth is that many are left stranded in the shadows, with no one to turn to, and no way to break free.?

For those whose hopes are dashed in the pursuit of a better life, the question remains: How long will they have to endure this betrayal? Where is the justice they deserve—both at home and abroad??

It is time for Nepal to take a stand and protect its people; not just by sending them abroad to work, but by creating a system where they can thrive at home, without resorting to migration for survival. Workers must be empowered, exploited migrants must be given a voice, and laws must be enforced to ensure that no one is treated as disposable.

It is a wake-up call for us all. To recognize the price of migration, the personal, emotional, and financial cost, and to work toward a future where people are not driven to leave their homes for survival but can build their lives with dignity, security, and opportunity in their own country.?

Devasha Pant.