Kathmandu, August 18
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has prepared a procedure to facilitate the rescue, relief and repatriation of Nepali citizens stranded abroad.
The Procedure for the Operation of Budget Allocated for the Rescue, Relief and Repatriation of Nepali Citizens Stranded Abroad has been sent to the Ministry of Finance for approval. It was submitted to the Finance Ministry on August 14 and is currently under consideration.
The government has allocated Rs 150 million in the current fiscal year for the rescue, relief and repatriation of Nepali citizens stranded abroad.
Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal informed the House of Representatives about the procedure while responding to a question raised by Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmaker Ashika Tamang over the delayed repatriation of the body of Santosh Rai of Dhunibesi Municipality-7, Dhading, who died while receiving treatment in Cambodia.
According to Khanal, the government felt the need for a separate source of funding for rescuing Nepalis stranded abroad after it came to power. The Finance Ministry was subsequently requested to allocate funds, resulting in the Rs 150 million allocation for the current fiscal year.
The procedure proposes a maximum expenditure of Rs 1.2 million per person. It also includes limited provisions for cases involving Nepali citizens who require medical treatment.
Khanal said the Foreign Ministry will implement the procedure once it is approved by the Finance Ministry.
He said the delay in preparing the procedure was not due to negligence but because the government needed to carefully determine the circumstances and purposes for which public funds could be used.
“The delay was not because we were reluctant or unwilling to prepare the procedure. Since this is a serious matter, we had to carefully consider where and under what circumstances the funds should be used,” Khanal said.
Government faces difficulties in rescuing those who travel illegally
Khanal said the repatriation of Nepali citizens who travel abroad legally, particularly those who obtain labour permits, is comparatively easier because they are covered by insurance through the Department of Foreign Employment.
However, he said rescuing Nepalis who travel abroad through illegal channels presents legal and financial challenges.
“For Nepali citizens who go abroad through legal channels, particularly those with labour permits, insurance is provided through the Department of Foreign Employment, making the process of repatriating bodies and providing other relief and rescue relatively easier,” Khanal said.
“But the rescue process for Nepali citizens who have gone abroad through illegal channels is extremely complicated.”
The minister said the government has two major responsibilities: protecting its citizens and ensuring that taxpayers’ money is used properly and legally.
He said the government must also consider whether using state funds to rescue citizens involved in activities prohibited by law could inadvertently encourage illegal activities.
“There is a humanitarian need to rescue people, but we must also seriously consider whether legally collected public funds should be used in a way that encourages illegal activities,” Khanal said.
Body of Nepali who died in Cambodia yet to be repatriated
Khanal said Santosh Rai of Dhunibesi Municipality-7, Dhading, died while undergoing treatment at Calmette Hospital in Cambodia on May 14, 2026.
His body remains at a hospital in Phnom Penh.
According to information received from the Nepali Embassy in Bangkok, around US$1,000 is required to bring Rai’s body home, including outstanding hospital treatment bills, mortuary charges and airfare.
Khanal said the issue had been raised in Parliament by lawmaker Tamang, and he was providing clarification based on the Speaker’s ruling.
Around 160 bodies repatriated in four months
According to Khanal, around 160 bodies of Nepali citizens have been repatriated to Nepal in the past four months alone.
He also said around 860 Nepali nationals who had travelled to Cambodia on visit visas and were working in scam centres had been rescued and brought back to Nepal over the past few months.
Cambodia does not have a labour agreement with Nepal.
Khanal said the government has limited resources and therefore must carefully determine where and how they are used.
He stressed that while Nepali citizens stranded abroad should be assisted on humanitarian grounds, the government must also ensure the proper use of public resources and uphold its collective responsibility to citizens.
