"I lived in hiding in Macau for seven months. I couldn't even get enough to eat," said Kaji Bahadur Adhikari of Nijgadh, Bara district, who reached the special administrative region of Macau, in a video that Republica received recently.

 

"In lack of nourishment, I became sick, and my legs became swollen," he further said.

As per the video, Kaji had reached Macau some seven years ago in hopes of earning a lot of money. An agent who landed him in Macau on a tourist visa had guaranteed him a good job. Before his 14-day visa expired, he wandered in search of a job, but all in vain. Neither did he get a work permit visa.

 

During his stay, he incurred expenses totaling some Rs 250,000. And he did not want to return home empty hands. After his visa expired and his stay in Macau became illegal, he started to live in hiding.

 

"During my seven months of illegal stay, I faced severe problems. I used up all my money and I did not have proper accommodation or food. And I started to become sick," he said.

 

After his leg became swollen, he started to look for ways to return home. Some Nepalis working in Macao got him in touch with the Non-Resident Nepalis Association (NRNA). Kaji was eventually able to return to Nepal with the help of the NRNA.

 

Pointing to the clothes he was wearing, he said in the video, "These clothes also belongs to the NRNA. I had nothing at all."

 

NRNA Macau secretary Karn Bahadur Adhikari, speaking to Republica over the phone, said. "In Macau, we found him stranded and living in hiding." The NRNA bore all the expences for his return to Nepal, the official said..

 

After the NRNA came to learn about Kaji's case, they assumed that many other Nepalis might be in the same predicament there, and it has started to look for them.

 

When Kaji flew back to Nepal two days ago, his daughter Shreesha was overjoyed. "Buwa frequently phoned us and told us he was unemployed in Macau. We asked him to come back but he hadn't listen" she said.

 

Kaji's story shows that agents are sending Nepali youths abroad on tourist visas with false assurances of work permits and jobs. Many of the youths are from Dang.

 

Three months ago, Bam Bahadur Nepali of Ghorahi Municipality-2, flew to Dubai on a tourist visa. The agent had promised him a tailoring job and a monthly remuneration of Rs 60,000. The agent had charged him Rs 160,000 from arranging the job.

 

Bam Bahadur was flown to Dubai from New Delhi, India. And he could not receive the promised work permit even after a week in Dubai. The agent nevertheless demanded a hefty charge for the work permit.

 

After 11 days, Bam Bahadur returned Nepal. He is now running a tailoring shop here. But he is yet to receive back the money he paid the agent.

 

As per records at the Dang-based Foreign Employment Counseling Center, some five to 15 persons have reportedly been cheated by agents sending them for employment in foreign countries on tourist visas. "We have also received complaints about an agent cheating up to Rs 8.1 million," said counselor Yogendra Basnet.

 

However, action against the agents has not been possible for lack of proper evidence, he informed.