Govt issues 9-point ToR to committee probing immigration and visa irregularities

KATHMANDU, June 24: The government has assigned a high-level study and investigation committee a nine-point mandate to resolve longstanding issues related to immigration management and visit visas.

Chaired by former Chief Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi, the committee has been tasked to submit its report within 30 days. The government has instructed the committee to conduct its work without affecting the ongoing investigation by the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).

The committee includes Tirtharaj Chiluwal, Joint Secretary (Finance Ministry); Aruna Joshi, Joint Secretary (Law Ministry); Ramkrishna Lamichhane, Joint Secretary (Tourism Ministry); Maniratna Sharma, Joint Secretary (Foreign Ministry); Pradip Koirala, Joint Secretary (Labor Ministry); Anand Kafle, from the Home Ministry, will serve as the committee's member secretary.

Mandate highlights (9 Points):

Policy Reform Proposals: Study and investigate immigration management and all visa categories to recommend short-term and long-term reforms in policy, legal, and institutional structures to ease international travel for Nepalis and foreigners.

Legal Review: Recommend necessary revisions or new drafts of existing laws, regulations, guidelines, and standards related to immigration and foreign travel facilitation.

Institutional Improvements: Suggest reforms for the structural and staffing setup of the immigration system.

Coordination Enhancement: Propose improvements in coordination and collaboration among agencies to prevent travel-related issues for citizens and visitors.

Adoption of Best Practices: Study international best practices in immigration and propose implementable models suited to Nepal.

Visa-Related Challenges: Examine issues faced by travelers on visit, labor, or other visas, including challenges of illegal stay abroad, and recommend preventive measures.

Technology Integration: Recommend steps to make the immigration system more technology-friendly, efficient, and responsive.

Stakeholder Roles: Propose measures to streamline the roles of stakeholders involved in immigration and travel processes.

Data Management: Recommend ways to ensure secure and accurate documentation of immigration entry and exit records.

Additional provisions include: The committee will determine its own working procedures; it may invite officials from relevant government and non-government agencies to provide input; while the initial reporting deadline is 30 days, the committee has been given up to three months to submit its final report to the government.