Poverty in Nepal drives men to work abroad in sometimes very difficult conditions. Nearly 15% of Nepal’s population, or 4.5 million people, currently work abroad, including 350,000 in Qatar, according to the government.
Kripal Mandal is a worker. He went to work in the emirate to feed his family and pay for the school fees of his five children. He died of a heart attack in Qatar on February 17, at the age of 38. His death was not an isolated case. Thousands of workers working on construction sites linked to the soccer World Cup have returned to the country in wooden coffins.
The unclear cause of death stated by Qatari authorities was unclear as “died in sleep” or “natural death”. Many migrants live in sometimes very precarious conditions, between forced labor and unsanitary housing.
This was denounced by Manish, one of Kripal’s brothers, who also worked for a time in Qatar. The workers were subjected to inhumane treatment. They are forced to work tirelessly, 12 hours a day, six days a week.
The Nepalese government has prepared financial assistance for the repatriation of the bodies. If the employer of the deceased refuses to pay to return the body, Nepal then mobilizes social assistance fund resources to ensure delivery of the coffin and transportation. The repatriation of bodies from the Gulf states costs at least 300,000 Nepalese rupees, or 2,400 euros.
But not everyone is entitled to this help. Of the 4.5 million immigrant workers, only 1.9 remain legally. And to get this public assistance, you must be registered with an employment agency and have taken insurance that is recognized by the government.
