Kathmandu: Workers who live abroad under their company’s supervision and work assignments are monitored 24/7, but only insured for eight hours a day. As a result, 81% of families of deceased workers have not received compensation due to the Nepal government’s lack of meaningful intervention.
Heart attacks and heart disease account for 19% of the deaths among Nepali workers abroad, with similar numbers attributed to natural causes. Suicide accounts for 11.18% of the deaths, and COVID-19 for 1.89%.
All Nepali workers in the Gulf and Malaysia are required to have life insurance. However, 81% of the families of those who died from illness and accidents have not received compensation. The insurance covers only working hours, not the full 24 hours during which workers are monitored by their employers.
The Gulf countries and Malaysia enforce an eight-hour workday, meaning families of workers who die outside these hours are often left without compensation. These countries have not implemented 24-hour insurance coverage.
The Foreign Employment Board reports that in the last 15 years, at least 11,760 Nepalis have died in the Gulf and Malaysia, but only 2,269 families have received compensation. Compensation is only provided for deaths caused by road and workplace accidents. Over the past 15 years, 1,493 road accident victims and 776 workplace accident victims have received compensation.
Deaths from road accidents (12.69%) and workplace accidents (6.59%) total 19%, with their families receiving compensation, often after significant struggles.
Of the 81% who did not receive compensation, 19.79% died from natural causes, 19.6% from heart attacks and heart diseases, 11.18% from suicide, and 1.89% from COVID-19. An additional 28.23% died from various other causes without receiving compensation.
Excessive work and extreme heat in the Gulf countries significantly contribute to heart attack and heart disease deaths. A 2019 study in the Journal of Cardiology identified extreme heat as a major cause of death for Nepali workers in Qatar. Amnesty International has called for thorough investigations before issuing death certificates, but neither Qatar nor Nepal has conducted significant studies or taken substantial action.
Former ambassador to Qatar Suryanath Mishra emphasized the need for 24-hour insurance for Nepali workers, highlighting that workers live and work under company supervision around the clock. Despite labor agreements with major destination countries, Nepal has not effectively pushed for 24-hour insurance coverage.
When families file claims, the Nepali Embassy pursues cases in local courts through local lawyers. Compensation is awarded only after winning the case, following local laws. Approximately 1,000 Nepalis die annually in labor destination countries. In the last three years, 1,314 families have applied for compensation at the embassy, but the process is challenging and discouraging for families.
Compensation rates vary between the Gulf region and Malaysia. In the Gulf, “blood money” compensation for deaths can reach around Rs. 70 lakhs. Saudi Arabia offers three types of compensation: gratuity based on years worked, blood money for workplace or road accident deaths, and limited life insurance coverage.
The Saudi workers’ compensation body, GOSI, pays only for road and workplace accidents. The Nepali embassy in Riyadh and the Jeddah consulate are handling 600 compensation cases.
Until 2022, Nepali Embassy representatives argued in court for victims’ families. However, a new Saudi rule requires locally licensed lawyers, so the embassy now contracts local lawyers, who take a percentage of the compensation awarded. Similar arrangements exist in Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, and Bahrain.
Nepali Ambassador to Malaysia Dilli Prasad Paudel expressed sadness that workers who die from heart attacks and diseases are not compensated. Malaysia’s Social Security Scheme (SOSCO) covers workplace and road accidents without discriminating between locals and immigrants, but most deaths are due to natural causes or disease. Only 71 families have received fixed pensions under SOSCO.
Somprasad Lamichhane, executive director of Pravasi Nepali Coordinating Committee, suggests that connecting families to SOSCO with 24-hour insurance would provide relief. He advocates for stronger diplomatic initiatives to ensure 24-hour security for all Nepali workers abroad.
