KATHMANDU: It is not strange to hear news regarding deportation of Nepalis from America. But, it might sound a bit unusual to hear the Nepal government deporting citizens from powerful countries.
Tourist police arrested on last Monday an American citizen in Kathmandu and handed over to the Department of Immigration (DoI). The arrested, according to the Department, is Henry Young, an American citizen, who had been staying in Nepal illegally. He has no passport and was held while he was shouting under the influence of marijuana, said Baikuntha Regmi, an official at the DoI.
This is only a tip of the iceberg. The Nepal government has deported as many as 23 American citizens in 2019.
They were deported for staying illegally in Nepal even after expiry of their visas. According to the rules, a tourist can stay in Nepal for 150 days in a year. In case of American citizens, they can stay for 180 days as per mutual visa agreement between the two countries.
“Americans are usually arrested on charges of drug abuse, child sex abuse in Nepal and visa expiry. Some of them come to Nepal to evade punishment after committing crimes in their country. We arrest them and deport to their country,” said Ishwor Raj Paudel, Director General of the Department.
According to the DoI, Americans come third in number to have been deported in 2019, Chinese being the first, followed by Israelites.
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