LONDON, Feb 7: The Nepali Embassy in Germany has urged Nepali citizens to avoid entering war-torn Ukraine under any circumstances.
In a notice issued on Thursday, the embassy warned that rescue efforts would be extremely difficult if Nepalis end up in any trouble in Ukraine. Therefore, the embassy advised Nepalis against traveling to the war-affected country.
The embassy also mentioned the successful rescue of two Nepali nationals who had been imprisoned in Ukraine since May for violating immigration laws. The rescue was made possible through persistent diplomatic efforts involving Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Kyiv, border security officials, the Moldovan Embassy in Kyiv, and Sri Lanka’s honorary consul for Ukraine. The rescued individuals were repatriated to Nepal via Moldova on Thursday.
The Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) headquarters arranged the necessary flight tickets for their return to Nepal.
The embassy further stated that despite repeated warnings, some Nepali citizens are still being lured to Ukraine by human traffickers. It urged Nepalis not to fall for any false promises or travel to Ukraine for any reason.
Since the third week of January 2023, countries bordering Ukraine have decided not to issue entry permits to foreigners, including Nepalis, attempting to cross into their territory from Ukraine.
The notice also highlighted that some individuals travel to Ukraine with the intention of using the ongoing crisis as an opportunity to enter other European countries illegally.