Kathmandu, February 12
The United States has deported 20 Nepali nationals in the past 23 days, according to immigration authorities.
Data from the Department of Immigration shows that between January 20, the day Donald Trump assumed office, and February 11, a total of 20 Nepalis were deported.
On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order to deport undocumented immigrants. According to the US Immigration Office, 1,365 Nepalis were residing in the US without legal status.
Sita Pariyar, spokesperson for the Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport, confirmed that from January 20 to February 11, one woman and 19 men were sent back to Nepal. The US immigration authorities stated in their report that these individuals were deported for traveling without visas and residing in the US with “malicious intent.”
Trump has taken a tough stance on immigration, with plans to deport 1.4 million undocumented immigrants. Several countries, including India and Mexico, have already seen their citizens deported, some in handcuffs.
However, Nepal’s immigration officials have not reported any instances of inhumane treatment of Nepali deportees. “So far, 20 Nepalis have been deported from the US. They returned on regular commercial flights without any issues,” said Pariyar.
The number of Nepalis returning from the US has increased recently, but the exact reason remains unclear, she added.
Records from Nepal’s Immigration Office show that six Nepalis arrived in Kathmandu on February 8, two on February 6, and three each on February 5 and 1.
Many Nepalis attempt to reach the US illegally through human trafficking networks. However, there is no official record in Nepal of undocumented Nepalis entering the US, while deportation records are maintained by the Immigration Office. If victims of human trafficking file complaints, the Bureau of Human Trafficking Investigation also keeps records.
According to immigration officials at Tribhuvan International Airport, the number of Nepalis being deported from the US has increased in recent days. However, they are unsure whether this surge is solely due to Trump’s immigration policies or other factors.
“Undocumented Nepalis were deported in the past as well, but the numbers have risen recently. The exact reason remains unknown,” an immigration official told Onlinekhabar.
