The DoI said that an alarming number of tourists have overstayed their visas in the last ten months and it has successfully deported them to their respective countries.
The record at the DoI shows that 205 foreigners were deported for overstaying while 58 were deported for criminal offence from January to October. Those who were arrested for carrying out criminal activities were deported upon completion of their jail terms.
Director General at the DoI, Kedar Neupane, informed that many foreigners came forward for voluntary deportation after the catastrophic earthquake of 25 April.
“We have recorded cases of foreigners where some of them have paid up to Rs 200,000 for overstaying in Nepal for many years,” said Neupane.
He said that the weak immigration policy of Nepal is one of the major reasons behind encouraging foreigners to breach the laws of the country.
According to the immigration laws of Nepal, foreigners can't re-enter Nepal for 10 years if arrested in cases related to illegal drug activities and up to three years for overstaying while those found using fake passports will be denied another opportunity to enter Nepal.
Neupane added that the government has failed to prioritize the immigration policy and there is an urgent need of reforming the laws related to immigration.
The foreigners who were deported for criminal charges had been arrested from various parts of the country for illegal drug deals, using fake passports, possession of unauthorized weapons, sandalwood trading and illegal Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), among others.
Immigration Officer Gaurab Dhungel told Republica that most of the foreigners overstaying were Chinese whereas citizens from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Germany, France, Iran, Poland, Georgia, the United Kingdom, Syria and Turkey were among those deported.
Dhungel added that mostly bag packers overstay in Nepal as the country is very cheap for them.
“Nepal is cheaper compared to other countries and in the meantime, the penalty for overstaying is also not very expensive,” he said. The DoI charges five dollars per day for overstaying.
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