KAMAL PARIYAR

The Department of Immigration has deported about 120 foreigners from the country in the last two years for various offences including those relating to drugs, fake travel documents and over-staying.

Department reports show that such offences are increasing despite the government´s drive to keep them down. According to the department, as many as 52 foreigners were deported in 2012, and 61 in 2013. As of April 2, seven foreigners have been deported this year. Director General of the Department Sharad Chandra Paudel informed that out of the total of 1,514 cases filed for the violation of immigration laws, 890 were settled by the courts while the department itself decided 360 cases. Thre remaining cases were handed over to police for further investigations and action, he added.

According to the reports, 15 foreigners were deported last year for 10 years on the charge of involvement with illegal drugs, 19 foreigners were deported for five years for using fake passports, nine were deported for one year for over-staying and 13 were deported for using fake visas and staying in Nepal without visa.

In a few cases the offenders were found to be illiterate and unaware of the legal provisions, an official at the department said. Asked about the increase in such offencees, former home secretary Nabin Kumar Ghimire, who also served as director general of the immigration department, said, “The government has been able to install advanced equipment to curb offences.”

Manual systems will not help control offences relating to immigration but stakeholders hesitate to go high-tech on the pretext of budget crunch, he said. Officials at the department also informed that the increase in such offences resulted from the provision of on-arrival visas at TIA in Kathmandu, at Kakarvitta, Birgunj, Kodari, Belahia in Bhairahawa, Jamunaha in Nepalgunj, Mohana in Dhangadhi and Gaddachauki, Mahendranagar district.

People from Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Cameroon, Somalia, Liberia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan are not given on-arrival visas. “We are trying our best to avoid institutional and security lapses at TIA, said DIG Yadav Adhikari, the new security chief at TIA, talking to Republica.

Most of those deported from Nepal were from Iran, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Tibet.

Published on: 3 April 2014 | Republica