Nepal, June 27 -- Rama (name changed) left her home in 2012 to work as a domestic worker in Kuwait. She migrated to support her family. For years, she sent regular remittances and assured her mother that she was safe. Then, on August 9, 2015, she made her last call and told her mother that she was planning to leave soon and would send some things home. Eleven years later, her mother still waits, raising Rama's children without knowing if her daughter is alive or dead.

Rama's story is heartbreaking, but sadly, quite common. Every year, thousands of Nepalis go missing. Official data shows over 60,948 people went missing between 2019-20 and 2023-24. The reasons for their disappearance include, but are not limited to: domestic violence, ment...