Viral Post About Minor Traveling Abroad: What Is the Truth?
A photograph of a young person traveling abroad has gone viral on social media, accompanied by emotional posts highlighting the hardships of having to work overseas at a very young age. The image shows an elderly man placing a garland around the neck of a youth who appears to be around 13–14 years old. The background clearly shows Tribhuvan International Airport, indicating that the person is departing abroad. This photo has spread widely on social media platforms. Some speculate that the individual might have altered their age on citizenship documents due to family circumstances, while others suspect the image might be AI-generated. Many viewers have reacted emotionally, believing the story to be true. But what is the reality? Visual investigations have verified the authenticity of the image and the fact that the individual did travel abroad. However, some claims made in the viral posts are inaccurate.
The photo was uploaded on the Facebook page “000 Our Lahan, Good Lahan” on the evening of 18 Ashar at 7:50 PM. The elderly man seen standing in front of Tribhuvan International Airport is draping a maroon shawl over the young man’s shoulders, who wears a Nepali flag around his neck. The charitable page’s post mentions that due to family obligations, the youth was forced to migrate to Malaysia at a very young age. The caption reads, “Due to the compulsion to go to Malaysia, he had to shoulder a huge responsibility at such a young age.” The page claims the youth is between 13 and 16 years old and states that he had to go to Malaysia to support his family, sacrificing time for sports and studies.
The photo uploaded by the Facebook page appears to have been re-posted multiple times with quality improvements. The images look somewhat atypical, but the individual does appear youthful and slender. AI detection tools used to analyze the image concluded that the photo is not AI-generated. Similar emotional posts using this photo have appeared on various other social media outlets as well.
Further inquiry revealed that the young man’s name is Sunil Kumar Yadav, who is reportedly 23 years old. He works as a temporary police officer during elections and has studied up to grade 12. Searching for keywords like Sunil Kumar, Sunil Yadav, and Sunil Kumar Yadav on Google and social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok) led to finding a TikTok account with the username @sunildiljale321. A matching Facebook account was also located. Though the Facebook profile is inactive, the TikTok account has hundreds of posts dating back to September 9, 2022. Recent videos show him working in Malaysia, and in a video uploaded on January 29, 2026, he identifies himself as Sunil Kumar Yadav and confirms his service as an election police officer.
Determining his age and residence was critical. A TikTok user named @rabin.kr.sharma posted a video stating in Maithili that Sunil is their brother and that they come from Sahajouli, Bara. It was verified that Sahajouli falls under Karaiyamai Rural Municipality-1, Bara district. Contacting local representative Dipak Prasad Paswan confirmed Sunil as a resident neighbor, verified the information, and stated that Sunil’s father is Gagandev Yadav. According to Paswan, Sunil is close to 23 years of age and left for Malaysia on 17 Ashar.
Similarly, Ram Babu Prasad Yadav, the principal of Shri Jan Community Secondary School in the area, confirmed Sunil’s origin from Sahajouli and that he had gone abroad. The principal further mentioned that Sunil passed grade 12 last year. Sunil is one of three siblings – two brothers and one sister. The elder brother is also abroad. Their mother passed away when Sunil was young. Currently, only the father and sister remain at home; the sister is studying in grade 12, and the father is engaged in farming.
What is the required age to go abroad legally? Under Nepalese law, a citizenship certificate can be obtained after turning 16 years old, which allows one to apply for an ordinary (adult) passport in their own name. According to the Foreign Employment Act 2064, no Nepali under 18 years of age can be sent abroad for foreign employment. Thus, one must be at least 18 years old to go abroad legally for work. Given these regulations, Sunil must be over 18 years old. Therefore, the viral posts depicting him as a minor are false. Recently, numerous fake TikTok accounts have been created using his name, which repost his videos and images without authorization.