KATHMANDU: The Immigration Department has returned a jumbo team of artists on way to Dubai for a musical program from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) on Friday.
Khemraj Upadhyaya, Information Officer at the Immigration Office at TIA, said a team of artists from Priyasi Music Private Limited were stopped from going to Dubai by Immigration.
He added there were 35 artists in the team and only a few of them, including the director of the company, were eligible to leave the country in line with a circular of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA). “The rest did not have documents prescribed by the Home Ministry and even lacked ‘No Objection Letter’ from the Nepali Embassy in the United Arab Emirates and hence were returned.”
The MoHA had issued a notification on January 23 tightening noose against those going to foreign countries on visit visas with effect from January 24. The circular allowed only a few people to leave the country on such visits.
Upadhyaya said a large number of artists were going against the criteria set by MoHA and were turned away.
The team was to board Fly Dubai’s flight to Dubai.
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