KATHMANDU, Dec 19: The US deported the highest number of Nepali nationals at a time—75 individuals including six women —flying them to Kathmandu on a chartered plane on Thursday.
The deportees, reportedly residing illegally in the US, were handed over to the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau of the Nepal Police at Tribhuvan International Airport for questioning and counseling before being reunited with their families. Authorities questioned them about how they reached the US, through whom and whether they were defrauded by agents.
“Seventy-five Nepalis deported by the US arrived in Kathmandu on Thursday via a chartered flight arranged by the US,” said Ram Chandra Tiwari, Director General of the Department of Immigration. The deportees were accused of entering the US illegally, staying without valid visas or residing for wrongful purposes.
US deports largest-ever group of Nepalis
The number of Nepali deportations has surged significantly since President Donald Trump began his second term on January 20, 2025, after adopting stricter immigration policies.
According to the Department of Immigration, 327 Nepalis have been deported this year including the 75 deported yesterday.
The numbers include 6 in January, 20 in February, 30 in March, 26 in April, 58 in May, 42 in June, 17 in July, 16 in August and 37 in September and 75 in December.
This is a sharp rise compared to 35 deported in 2021, 22 in 2022, 24 in 2023 and 52 in 2024. Most deportees reportedly entered the US through illegal channels, paying large sums to agents or human traffickers.
During his election campaign, Trump had pledged stricter measures against illegal immigrants, and shortly after taking office, he signed an executive order targeting unauthorized residents. Since the start of his second term, the US has deported a total of 463 Nepalis, with the latest batch of 75 representing the highest number deported at a time.
Many of the deported individuals had entered the US after June 24, 2015, and had already received removal orders. On August 21, a US federal appeals court sided with the Trump administration, ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Nepali migrants who had arrived after the 2015 earthquake. TPS had previously allowed them to stay and work safely in the US. Around 7,000 Nepalis whose TPS expired on August 5 are now at risk of deportation.
The US Embassy in Kathmandu notifies the Nepal Immigration Department ahead of deportations. Upon arrival, deportees are handed over to the Human Trafficking Investigation Bureau, questioned about their journey and possible exploitation by agents, and provided counseling and support.
