KATHMANDU: ‘After a two-year journey that carried me through some of the world’s most perilous jungles, across multiple countries in Asia, Africa, and South America, and ultimately to Mexico, I felt a rush of excitement upon reaching America. Yet, that joy was fleeting; time and fate seemed to conspire against me.”

This is part of an experience shared with this news outlet by a young man from Rukum East. He was deported to Nepal by American authorities on the evening of June 8, 2025. He had spent Rs 10 million and endured immense hardship, entering America via a human trafficker and the ‘Dunki Route’ through the Darien Gap and Mexico. Upon arrival, he was immediately arrested. After being held in prison for eight months, American authorities deported him back to Nepal.

He documented his experience, writing: “I finally reached America, yet I never truly glimpsed the world beyond the prison walls. After my release, it took me nearly 28 hours to travel from the airports in Texas and Chicago to Kathmandu, with stops through Europe and India.” He, along with 36 fellow Nepalis, arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport aboard Omni Air International’s flight ‘OY 3146.’ Upon landing, all he had was the single set of clothes he was wearing.

As they exited the airport, some of the deportees were seen carrying their belongings in sacks and plastic bags. The sight of them carrying sacks was widely shared on social media, sparking public sorrow. The Nepalis who were sent back were trying to hide their faces and avoid attention. The young man from Rukum East expressed his frustration, saying, “On the plane, the other passengers looked happy. I, however, was full of fear and disappointment and kept my face down. Everyone was staring at me. I also saw people on social media mocking those who took the illegal route. It felt like they were adding insult to my injury.”

According to an investigation by the Nepal Police’s Anti Human Trafficking Bureau, 35 of the 37 people deported from America that day had reached the US via the ‘Dunki Route’ through Mexico, facilitated by a human trafficking ring. A network of traffickers from Nepal, India, and Pakistan had tried to get them to the US to claim false asylum. They had paid up to Rs 14 million per person to reach the USA, where they were arrested and jailed by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Many people desperate to get to America often discard their passports and all other documents to claim asylum. Superintendent of Police (SP) Narendra Kunwar, the Bureau’s spokesperson, stated, “Their plan was to claim asylum after getting rid of their documents, but they were arrested before they could do so.”

The story of most Nepalis who try to become fake asylum seekers to enter America is similar to that of the young man from Rukum. The number of young people from villages in western Nepal, like Rukum, Dang, Parbat, and Syangja, leaving for America is increasing. Although there are no official statistics, it is estimated that more than 10,000 Nepalis have entered the US via the ‘Dunki Route’.

“On the plane, the other passengers looked happy. I, however, was full of fear and disappointment and kept my face down. Everyone was staring at me. I also saw people on social media mocking those who took the illegal route. It felt like they were adding insult to my injury.”

Since Donald Trump became president, over 160 Nepalis have been deported. Dozens of Nepali youths have died while attempting this dangerous ‘Dunki journey’ to America. The widespread trend of trying to enter the USA by any means has even started to be featured in songs by Nepali artists, which are, in a way, trending.

In the past, Nepal was known as a country that provided refuge to others. According to data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Nepal currently hosts 19,555 refugees from eight countries, including Tibet, Bhutan, and Myanmar. In recent times, Nepal has started to be known not only as a country that gives refuge but also as a country whose citizens desperately seek it elsewhere.

The problem of Nepalis seeking to become fake refugees is a complex one, involving not just desperate individuals but also high-level traffickers. The fact that high-level leaders, officials, and even former ministers were involved in the business of making Nepalis fake refugees became public three years ago with the fake Bhutanese refugee scandal.

Former ministers Bal Krishna Khand and Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, former Home Secretary Tek Narayan Pandey, and middlemen conspired to take large sums of money from 500 Nepalis to turn them into fake Bhutanese refugees. The first choice of country for Nepalis who want to become refugees by any means is the USA. Some Nepalis who risk both life and money to get to America first become refugees in other countries and then try to become refugees there as well. Brazil is one such transit country.

According to a report prepared by the Brazilian Police after a study from January 2023 to July 2024, of the more than 8,300 people who sought asylum in Brazil in a year and a half, about 1,900 were Nepalis. This means that more than 20 percent of those seeking asylum in Brazil are Nepalis.

According to UNHCR data, Nepalis first started applying for asylum in Brazil in 2012, with 32 applications. By 2023, this number had risen to 1,303. By the end of 2024, the number had dropped to 151. Nepalis claim asylum in Brazil not because it is their country of choice, but because once they are refugees there, it is easier to enter countries like the USA. As of 2024, eight Nepalis have been granted refugee status in Brazil.

It has been found that most of those who claim asylum in Brazil want to enter America. For example, between August and September 2024, several news reports were made public that 700 people from various countries, including 176 Nepalis, were stranded at São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport, commonly known as GRU Airport, in Brazil. These Nepalis, who had fallen into the trap of human trafficking networks to get to Brazil, claimed asylum there. Their final destination, however, was America.

The problem of fake asylum claims

Recently, Nepalis working in the Singapore police have also been found to be applying for asylum in America. There are provisions for Nepalis who join the British Army from Nepal to later take their families and get residential facilities, but those who join the Singapore police do not get such facilities. After retirement, they have to return to Nepal. Pensions are also only available for one generation. That’s why Nepalis working in the Singapore police have recently started going to America with very few intentions of returning to Nepal.

A few months before their job in the Singapore police ends, they go to America on a visit visa. Then, they give up their job in Singapore, tear up their visa, and stay in America. After six months, they apply for asylum and migrate there. Since Singapore police officers can easily get a US visit visa, it is easy for them to go.

According to a study by foreign employment expert and sociologist Ganesh Gurung, 90 percent of Nepalis working in the Singapore police enter America, Australia, and Canada. Gurung says that even though they present political reasons when submitting documents to become refugees in America, they are actually seeking refuge for economic reasons. He says, “In my study, 99 percent of Nepalis who go to other countries and apply for asylum have gone for employment mainly.”

Similarly, Nepalis working as caregivers in countries like Israel also apply for visas to the USA and then for asylum. There are criminal networks active in both Nepal and America that help Nepalis become refugees. These syndicates create fake documents and help people from 18-20 to over 60 years old to get to American soil.

According to UNHCR data, in 1995 there were 17 Nepalis who were refugees in America, but by the end of 2024, that number had reached 6,124. The number of people who have applied for refugee status in America is 13,156. This data clearly shows how eager Nepalis are to become refugees on American land.

In the United Kingdom as well, many Nepalis became refugees during the armed Maoist conflict period. In 2002, there were 65 Nepali refugees in the United Kingdom, but by the end of 2024, the number had reached 102, and 998 people had applied for refugee status. Similarly, 579 people have applied for refugee status in South Korea, 828 in Greece, 1,353 in Australia, and 160 in France.

Data shows that Nepalis have gone as far as South Africa to apply for refugee status. Although there are no Nepali refugees in South Africa, 50 to 100 people apply every year. The majority of these applicants do not want to settle in South Africa. Human trafficking gangs use the South Africa route to get them to the US, Canada, and various European countries.

The 1951 Refugee Convention states that people who cannot live in their home country due to their race, religion, nationality, or political beliefs can become refugees. Therefore, it is found that the number of people becoming refugees is increasing not only due to internal conflict and violence but also for various other reasons. The definition of a refugee has become even broader recently. Dr. Gopal Krishna Siwakoti, former Chair of the Asia Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN), says that the number of people becoming refugees due to political instability, climate change, major disasters, and even domestic violence could increase in the coming days.

Previously, those who were displaced due to the Maoist armed conflict and the Madhesh, Limbuwan, and Tharu movements used to claim refugee status. But now, since there are no major conflicts or other threats in Nepal, there is no need for Nepalis to seek refuge in other countries for individual reasons. Siwakoti says, “The way Nepalis are claiming refugee status in various countries does not seem normal.”

According to a study by foreign employment expert and sociologist Ganesh Gurung, 90 percent of Nepalis working in the Singapore police enter America, Australia, and Canada. Gurung says that even though they present political reasons when submitting documents to become refugees in America, they are actually seeking refuge for economic reasons.

Canada: A desperate destination

Canada is another country where Nepalis desperately try to become refugees. Nepalis who enter Canada by various means often go into hiding and apply for refugee status. Heruka Lama, who won the award for best dance director at the second edition of the Star Music Video Award organized by Kathmandu’s Great Nataraj Films in Toronto, Canada, on May 28, 2023, did not return to Nepal.

Lama is not the only one who went to Canada under the pretext of an award ceremony and went into hiding. Out of 42 people who applied to attend the event, only 38 were granted visas. The organizer, Ashok Bishwakarma, did not get a visa. Of those who received visas, 33 went to Canada. But after the event, about half of them stayed there.

According to the event host, Naresh Bhattarai, the artists and guests went in separate groups. Bhattarai said that all five people in his group returned, but he couldn’t say whether anyone from the other groups returned.

Ashok Bishwakarma, the chairman of the organizing company, admits that some people hid there. Bishwakarma says, “My people all came back, except for two or four friends who took advantage of me.”

Government statistics from Canada show that the number of people who go there on tourist visas, work permits, or as students and then apply for asylum by fabricating stories about not being able to return to Nepal or being in danger is increasing. In the three-month period from January to March 2025 alone, 340 Nepalis applied for refugee status in Canada. According to the quarterly statistics of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), 110 of those who claimed refugee status have been granted permission to become refugees.

Last year, in 2024, at least 1,025 Nepalis had applied for refugee status in Canada in this way. Currently, there are 763 Nepali refugees in Canada. Two years ago, in 2023, 448 people applied, and 120 of them were successful in becoming refugees. Still, 1,157 Nepalis are working to become refugees on Canadian soil.

The trend of Nepalis going to Canada to become refugees is not new. It is said that in August 2006, when Maiti Nepal’s founder and director Anuradha Koirala was denied a visa to attend the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto, then-Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala intervened. After that, 80 people were granted visas. 80 percent of them did not return. Just like the Nepalis, many people from other countries who went to the AIDS conference also claimed refugee status. The conference became controversial after 151 participants from various countries sought asylum in Canada.

Since then, Nepalis have been going to Canada on various pretexts and applying for refugee status. According to the Canadian government body, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), 40,000 Nepali students were granted study permits from 2022 to 2024. Most of them do not have permanent residency rights (PR). They also eventually apply for refugee status.

According to UNHCR data, as far back as 1994, five Nepalis were refugees in Canada, but by the end of 2024, that number had reached 763. The number of people who have applied for refugee status is 1,025.

Since Canada’s policy for granting refugee status to Nepalis is lenient, many people apply by giving false reasons. The applicants include not only those who go directly from Nepal but also those who come from other countries. In particular, some Nepalis who go to Israel, Dubai, or Qatar as caregivers work to please their employers to get a Canadian visa and then stay there and apply for refugee status.

Government statistics from Canada show that the number of people who go there on tourist visas, work permits, or as students and then apply for asylum by fabricating stories about not being able to return to Nepal or being in danger is increasing. In the three-month period from January to March 2025 alone, 340 Nepalis applied for refugee status in Canada.

Several people have spoken out that there is a group of Nepalis who prepare fake documents for those who want to become refugees in Canada. They write false stories for the refugee applicants. Earlier, they would write stories about the Maoists causing them trouble, but now they fabricate stories about threats from the Biplav group or their lives being in danger. On this basis, lawyers help them apply for refugee status. People who want to stay there pay Rs3 million to Rs 50 million to the organizers and sponsors who take them to Canada on the pretext of various awards and events. Although many people fall into the trap of human traffickers and become refugees, few complaints are filed with the Nepal Police’s Anti Human Trafficking Bureau. The bureau’s spokesperson, SP Kunwar, says, “When they go abroad, they go for reasons like employment or education. Those who hide there and become refugees do not file any complaints. If someone complains, pointing out that they have been trafficked, then we only investigate.”

In the past, Nepalis could go to Hong Kong on a work visa. But after Nepalis who went there started applying for refugee status and staying there, the government closed work and student visas for Nepalis from June 6, 2005.

According to UNHCR data, in 2003, six Nepalis applied for refugee status, and the number later increased to 251 per year. Even after the Hong Kong administration closed work and student visas, the number of people who went on tourist visas and applied for refugee status or entered through human trafficking networks continued until 2015, according to UNHCR data. Now, Hong Kong does not accept refugee applications from Nepalis. Instead, it is sending back those who have been refugees for a long time. As of 2024, there are eight Nepalis living as refugees in Hong Kong.

Nepalis had been living in Hong Kong since it was under British rule and served in the Gurkha army. When Hong Kong, which is now a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, decided in 1994 to grant permanent residency to those born there before 1983, when it was under British rule, the number of Nepalis living there surged. Around the year 1997, many Nepalis went to Hong Kong for jobs. After that, problems started to emerge. In a book, “Nepali Prawasan: Niyati ra Rahar,” journalist Dambar Krishna Shrestha, who is currently in Hong Kong, writes, “Lately, when Nepalis who were cheated by foreign employment agents started staying there claiming to be refugees, problems began to arise for the entry of Nepalis.”

As this trend continued, Hong Kong closed work and student visas for Nepalis, and now new refugees cannot even apply. Although in the past they applied by saying their lives were in danger due to the Maoist conflict and other reasons, now that there is no such situation in Nepal, the applications of those who want to become refugees are rejected. The small number of refugees who are living there now are only the old ones. For them too, various strict rules have been made, such as regular attendance.

Not only in Hong Kong but also in other countries, refugee policies are being tightened. Most of the countries that used to give Nepalis visas on arrival now require a visa. As a result, Nepal’s passport has become weaker. Currently, Nepal is in ninety-ninth place in the global passport rankings.

Recently, governments around the world have become more intolerant of refugees and migrants. This will make it difficult not only for fake refugees but also for genuine ones. In Portugal, a nationalist party called Chega was formed in 2019 with the demand to stop the arrival of migrants. This party, which opposes the quota system for migrants and refugees given by the European Union, is the main opposition party in Portugal. Similarly, in countries like Germany, Switzerland, and France, the issue of migrants is a big issue during elections.

US President Donald Trump himself is against migrants and refugees. After he was appointed president recently, he stopped the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). Since then, the American administration has been arresting and sending back citizens of other countries who are living there illegally.

Senior advocate Gandhi Pandit, who has studied and practiced law in America, says that it is no longer as easy to become a refugee in countries like America as it was before. Pandit says, “Earlier, refugee applicants were accepted easily, but now that they have realized that they are not genuine refugees, strictness has been increased.”

The European Union has also concluded that it can no longer bear the burden of refugees and has adopted a policy of helping to create jobs in the countries from which many people are trying to come to Europe. Dr. Siwakoti, who is also a refugee activist, says that the top leadership of the government and political parties should take seriously the fact that so many Nepalis are eager to leave the country as refugees, even when Western countries are reducing their refugee quotas for Nepalis and there are no other major reasons. Dr. Siwakoti says, “The wave of people leaving the country to become refugees shows that the state of governance and employment is not good. To live is to have food, shelter, and clothing. It is necessary for everyone to think seriously about how to stop them from becoming refugees by creating a sustainable system where they can live in their home country.”

Currently, there are no factors like political instability or internal conflict in the country that would compel people to become refugees. The reason so many people are eager to leave their country and become refugees is the lack of employment. The corruption in politics, bureaucracy, and among ordinary citizens has also led parents to not want to keep their children in the country. After that, the youth want to go abroad by any means.

Rajkumar Thapa, a member of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) International Coordination Council, says that Nepalis primarily go abroad for employment and then fall into the clutches of traffickers and end up becoming refugees. Thapa says, “They don’t initially plan to become refugees, but they get entangled with traffickers and end up becoming refugees.”

According to UNHCR data, there were 7,840 Nepali refugees in 23 countries around the world by the end of 2024. This number is an 8.5 percent increase compared to the previous year. The highest number, 6,124, are in America. By this time, the number of Nepalis who had applied for refugee status in 31 countries around the world was 19,619. This number is a 14 percent increase compared to the previous year.

Those who are not getting opportunities or making money in Nepal and who dream of becoming rich are being lured to various countries by traffickers with the promise of good earnings and are then made to apply for refugee status there.

Dr. Siwakoti says, “The wave of people leaving the country to become refugees shows that the state of governance and employment is not good. To live is to have food, shelter, and clothing. It is necessary for everyone to think seriously about how to stop them from becoming refugees by creating a sustainable system where they can live in their home country.”

According to NRNA Secretary Nab Raj Roshyara, only a few of the people who go abroad as refugees are genuine, and most people, in their desperation to go abroad for opportunities, fall into the trap of traffickers and end up becoming refugees.

“Even those who are well-educated have gone to various countries as refugees,” Roshyara says. “When they leave Nepal, no one goes with the intention of becoming a refugee; they only go in search of opportunities. But they fall into the clutches of traffickers and end up becoming refugees.”

Earlier, the NRNA used to help Nepalis who were stranded in various countries. But even that help, which was given out of humanitarian concern, started to be misused by traffickers. NRNA Secretary Roshyara says that after they found out that traffickers were charging money from victims, saying that the ‘NRNA would help them’, and then leaving them abroad, they started to be careful. “Traffickers are using loopholes to run the refugee business. We were also misused in the traffickers’ plan,” he says.

According to Binod Roka, an expert in immigration law who runs ‘Binod Roka and Associates’ in America, to get refugee status, one must prove that they are connected to one or all of the following: race, religion, nationality, political ideology, or membership in a specific or recognizable social group. Refugee applicants present stories and details based on these issues. However, most of the stories and details presented by Nepalis are fake.

Senior advocate Pandit says that the main reason Nepalis claim refugee status in various countries is the lure of employment. He says, “Most of the people who apply for refugee status in this way are not genuine refugees. This is a misuse of the protection system that has been put in place for genuine refugees worldwide.”