First chartered aircraft with Nepali deportees lands in Kathmandu amid stricter US stance

Kathmandu [Nepal], March 5 (ANI): Amid the strict action against illegal immigration by the Donald Trump administration in the United States, a batch of eight Nepali nationals was deported back to Kathmandu in a chartered aircraft.
Prior to this, 27 Nepali nationals had already been deported from the US. However, this marked the first time Nepali nationals have been deported via a chartered flight.
The Gryphon Air's GulfStream aircraft arrived at Tribhuvan International Airport from South Hampshire en route from Albania at around 10 am (local time) on Wednesday morning.
Among the eight individuals, some had been living in the US illegally, while others were deported for immigration violations.
"A total of 8 Nepali nationals staying illegally in United States has arrived Kathmandu earlier this morning," Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal's Deputy Spokesperson Gyanendra Bhura confirmed ANI over the phone.
The deported nationals were seen carrying hand-bags with limited belongings while they disembarked the chartered aircraft while lying in the Tribhuvan International Airport's parking bay.
Following their arrival, the Nepal Police's Human Trafficking Investigation interrogated the deported individuals. Superintendent of Police Narendra Kunwar, spokesperson for the Bureau, stated that the interrogation focused on the details of their journey to the US.
"During the initial questioning, it has been revealed that some of them had traveled to the US via Brazil by land. They were deported for violating US immigration laws," Kunwar confirmed ANI over phone.
However, the deported individuals have expressed no interest in filing cases against the brokers who facilitated their illegal entry into the US, according to the spokesperson.
Police officials stated that the detainees will be interrogated regarding potential involvement in human trafficking-related offenses.
Following the inauguration of Trump and issuance of the executive order the US has been regularly deporting undocumented Nepali nationals via international flights.
As per the officials at the Immigration Department of Nepal, the deportees had started arriving Nepal from January 22.
The Immigration Department had recorded one deportee arriving back Kathmandu on January 22, 24 and 29 respectively. On January 30, two Nepali nationals arrived Kathmandu after being deported back from US while another arrived on January 31.
On February 1, three Nepali deportee landed Tribhuvan International Airport followed by another three arriving on February 5, two on February 6, six on February 8, two on February 16 and one on February 17.
Upon interrogating the deportees, it has been recorded that traffickers have long been smuggling people into the US through various routes across Asia, Africa, and South America.
Prior to the executive order by Trump, 140 Nepali were deported back in between 2021 and 2024 from the US. In the year 2021, the US had sent back 38, in 2022 deported 24, in 2023 deported 25, and last year deported 53 Nepali for visa-related issues.
The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has intensified arrests of those with final deportation orders, with a focus on individuals who entered the US after June 24, 2015, and were ordered to leave.
Over 3,500 Nepalis have been issued deportation orders, with an estimated 2,000 under Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Around 1,300 Nepali are believed to be at immediate risk of deportation.
ICE has publicly listed 1,445,549 undocumented immigrants for deportation. The largest undocumented populations in the US are from Mexico, El Salvador, India, Guatemala, Honduras, and Venezuela, with significant concentrations in California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois. (ANI)