An expat worker in Bahrain who has not seen his family for a quarter century is now seeking help from the kingdom's leadership so that he can finally go home, a report said.

Indian Parasuram Hublikar first came to Bahrain in 1976 to work as a garage mechanic, but a travel ban slapped on him in 1989 over an unpaid debt means he has not seen his family for 25 years, the Gulf Daily News (GDN) report said.

The 58-year-old first appeared in the GDN in 2011 appealing to the Indian Embassy to come to his aid, as he claims he has paid off his debts despite the travel ban that still hangs over his head to this day.

"I haven't seen my family for 25 years and I'm still struggling to sort out my issues and be with them," said Hublikar.

"I now request Bahrain's leadership to help me solve this problem and allow me to go back home."

Although Hublikar claims to have paid off the BD1,037 debt he was originally taken to court over, he has lost the receipts proving the payments and is now penniless - relying on the support of friends to survive.

His wife Jamuna works as a housemaid in Bangalore struggling to make ends meet and he does not even know what his 27-year-old son Jagdeesh looks like anymore, he told the GDN.

"Last time I saw my family was in 1989 and I haven't sent any money home since 1990," he said.

"My wife is working as a maid and my son was unable to go to school, as I didn't have any money to send to them.

"I have no permanent job and I do odd jobs to survive - I don't know when this case will be over and the government will remove the ban so I can go home."

Hublikar's former employer, Mahmood Hassan Baqer, earlier confirmed to the GDN that all outstanding debts had been paid - but apparently there is insufficient evidence to prove this for the purposes of removing the travel ban.

Indian Embassy officials have also confirmed that they are aware of Hublikar's plight, but said all they were able to do was put him in touch with a legal representative.  - TradeArabia News Service