KATHMANDU: This week, I was supposed to be in Bogotá, Colombia, representing Nepal at the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP 2025) - a global platform bringing together researchers  and advocates from around the world.

Three of us - all Nepali public health professionals, two from NGOs and myself from government service were selected and fully sponsored for the conference. We had every document in place: Colombian visas, official invitation letters, sponsorship documents, return tickets, and clear communication from the organisers. We did not require any transit visa for our route.

Our journey was planned as Kathmandu → Delhi → Frankfurt → Bogotá, with Air India and Lufthansa.
We passed smoothly through Nepali immigration and boarded our first flight, excited and proud to represent our country on a global stage.

But when we reached Delhi Airport, everything changed.

At the transfer desk, the airline staff told us they needed to “verify our documents with the German Embassy.” For hours, we waited  without clarity, without comfort, without communication. We were not allowed to move freely or even understand what was happening. We were simply held there - uncertain, anxious, and helpless.

After almost waiting for 5 hours, we were told, “The German Embassy doesn’t want you to travel.”

We were stunned. We had done nothing wrong. One of the staff then took our boarding passes and told us bluntly, “You can never go now.”

No reasoning. No explanation. Just a verdict.

We were instructed to buy new tickets back to Kathmandu. Our organisers immediately intervened contacting the airlines, reaching out to authorities, and even trying to arrange alternative routes through other countries. But by then, every possible route was fully booked. In the end, they had to book our return tickets home - our only option.

We came back, heavy-hearted, exhausted, and broken.

When we finally returned to Nepal, we visited both the German and Indian Embassies.

The German Embassy clearly stated they had no objections or issues regarding our travel.

The Indian Embassy, however, barely communicated with us. Even the Nepal Immigration Office noted that our return slip had no stated reason, which they found unusual and improper. We have also emailed Nepal Embassy in Delhi, but haven’t received any response yet.

Meanwhile, our other Nepali colleagues who took different routes and airlines  have already reached Bogotá and are attending the conference.

It took months of preparation, paperwork, coordination, and hope to participate in this global platform - only to be treated like captives and criminals for reasons still unknown.

I know this isn’t the end of world or opportunities. BUT. This experience has left me deeply disappointed, frustrated, and questioning:

Are professionals from countries like ours not trusted to travel with purpose? Are we not allowed to dream, to represent, to contribute globally?

We did everything right and yet, we were denied our dignity.

Denied because of where we come from, because of the passport we carry.

I share this not out of anger, but out of conviction that if borders continue to silence voices from the Global South, then global health will never truly be global.