Pius Wilfred Minino Coutinho, a Mumbai-based man who moved to Qatar for work about 35 years ago, is now stranded abroad and unable to return home. His last visit to Mumbai was in 2009, and at almost 68 years old, he is dealing with diabetes, limited mobility and has no family support in Qatar.

After misplacing his passport, Coutinho needed a new one, which required his birth certificate. His brother-in-law, Pavithran Nicholson, went to the BMC G North ward to get the document, but said the process has become a major hurdle. “He lost his passport, misplaced it somewhere and was not able to find it, so I went to the BMC ward G North to get his birth certificate so that we can reapply for his passport and get him back home soon,” Nicholson said.