KATHMANDU, Oct 18: Reports of Nepalis being deported from the United States have been surfacing almost daily. Despite the high risks of entering the US illegally, hundreds of Nepalis have spent millions of rupees to reach the country through so-called “lower routes”, only to face deportation soon after arrival. While a few have managed to build better lives there, many others have returned home devastated and penniless.
Nowadays, even those who initially travelled legally have been forced to return home after overstaying their visas and becoming undocumented.
The craze for reaching the US through irregular channels has particularly gripped western Nepal, including Dang and Rukum (East and West), providing fertile ground for human traffickers. According to the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau (AHTB), a total of 468 Nepalis have been deported from the US so far. Among them is a young man from Dang, who travelled through several countries to reach America but was deported soon after his arrival.
The young man, who dreamt of a better life in the US, was held captive in Mexico while travelling through irregular routes. After spending millions of rupees, he finally set foot on American soil—only to be jailed and deported less than a year later. When he returned home, his dreams and savings were gone.
He had never planned to go abroad, but family circumstances pushed him to take the risk. As the eldest son in a family of six, he bore the responsibility of supporting everyone. One day, a local grocery shopkeeper named Sher Bahadur Oli approached his father, saying, “Where is your son? I have a golden opportunity—there’s a 14-day training programme in Panama with only 12 spots. From there, he can reach the US and earn Rs 600,000–700,000 a month. Has he got his citizenship?”
“We are illiterate people; we don’t know much about these things. He doesn’t even have citizenship,” the father replied. But Sher Bahadur persisted: “Don’t miss this golden opportunity. I can handle the citizenship process myself.”
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At a time when most families could barely afford to send their children to nearby countries, the idea of sending a son to America was tempting. However, the family hesitated due to the high costs. Sher Bahadur kept reassuring them, saying, “It will cost Rs 6 million to reach the US. If the money is not enough, I’ll pay half myself. One of your two sons must go to the US—no matter what.”
He repeatedly visited their home to persuade them. Every parent dreams of a better future for their children, and the young man’s father was no exception. The youth recalled Sher Bahadur’s words: “You’ll reach the US in three months. It’s just a matter of getting citizenship and a passport. Start collecting money gradually—I’ll handle the rest. You’ll earn a lot there. It’s an artist training programme; I’ll include you in the group.”
Convinced by his promises, the family handed over Rs 1 million in August 2023.
According to the young man’s statement to the AHTB, Sher Bahadur kept him waiting for five months, repeatedly saying, “It’s been five months since you paid Rs 1 million. Your name is registered—it’ll happen soon. But you’ll need more money to reach the US.”
Persuaded again, the family arranged additional funds. The young man was then told to prepare for travel via Dubai under another agent, Shashi Ram Rawat. “There’s a flight from Dubai. It costs $5,500. We’ll go via New Delhi and Dubai. But if anyone asks, don’t say we’re going to see the Burj Khalifa,” he recalled Sher Bahadur instructing him.
The family mortgaged property and borrowed from relatives to raise the funds. Upon reaching Dubai, Shashi Ram took the young man’s money, saying, “Stay at the hotel I arranged. It’s not safe to carry money here—give it to me.” He then demanded further payments in multiple instalments—Rs 800,000, Rs 200,000, Rs 400,000, Rs 300,000, and Rs 1 million—while they travelled through several countries.
He recalled passing through Dubai, Morocco, Spain, Chile, Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru. “We suffered a lot on the way. The agents kept demanding money, sometimes in cash and sometimes via bank deposits. If I didn’t pay, others would go ahead while I was left behind,” he said.
The young man told the bureau that his journey drained everything he owned. “Before this, I could barely save a thousand rupees. The dream of reaching America cost me everything. Halfway through, I remembered the loans I had taken. Going back was impossible—the debt haunted me,” he said.
The traffickers sent him through Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, and finally Mexico, where he was held captive for 11 days for failing to pay on time. “The agent locked me in a room. I had to borrow more money from neighbours before they finally took me to the US at night,” he recalled.
But the moment he arrived, his hopes were shattered. “I was so happy to reach the US. I thought I could pay off all my debts. But fate didn’t favour me. The moment I arrived, I was handcuffed,” he said. “I cried a lot, but the police didn’t remove the handcuffs.”
He spent seven months in a US jail and was deported to Nepal on 12 May via Indian Airlines. He later filed a complaint with the AHTB, claiming that Sher Bahadur and other agents defrauded him of Rs 8.26 million.
According to the bureau, since Donald Trump’s re-election, 243 Nepalis have been deported from the US. Initially, undocumented migrants were asked to return voluntarily; those who refused were deported.
SSP Krishna Pangeni of the bureau said Rukum ranks first and Dang second among districts with the highest number of people attempting to enter the US illegally. He said traffickers charge between Rs 4.5 million and Rs 10 million, often taking the money and abandoning migrants mid-journey.
“There is a highly organised network behind sending people to the US illegally,” SSP Pangeni said. “Such activities constitute human trafficking. Poverty, unemployment, the lure of destination countries, and peer influence are the main factors pushing people into the hands of traffickers.”
