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By Our Reporter

The sharp rise in the number of Nepalis deported in 2025 tells a larger story about how foreign employment now works for many citizens. Nearly 2,800 Nepalis were sent back by 77 countries in a single year, more than double the figure from 2024. Malaysia, the United States, the UAE, South Korea, and Japan account for the biggest share. On paper, the reasons look simple, overstaying visas, illegal work, crimes, or loss of legal status. In real life, these outcomes often begin much earlier, back home.

Most Nepalis do not leave the country with the aim of breaking laws. They leave because jobs are scarce, wages are low, and public trust in the economy has eroded. Once abroad, many face conditions very different from what they were promised. Work permits expire, employers disappear, contracts change, or legal pathways close without warning. When survival becomes the priority, people overstay or take informal jobs. That is when deportation becomes almost inevitable.

A large part of the problem sits inside Nepal’s own system. Foreign employment brokers, manpower agencies, and informal middlemen continue to sell false promises. They charge huge sums, arrange weak documentation, or push people into risky routes. In many cases, migrants do not even fully understand visa terms or labor rules. When things go wrong, the same agents vanish. The migrant pays the price alone, often after spending years trying to recover debts.

State oversight remains weak. Laws exist, but enforcement remains selective. Complaints pile up, yet action stays slow. Ministers speak against fraud, bureaucrats issue notices, but the same networks operate year after year. This does not happen without protection. Money changes hands, files go missing, and accountability fades. The result is a system that pushes people out fast but fails to protect them once they leave.

Another factor lies in poor preparation. Many Nepalis go abroad with little knowledge of local laws, work culture, or basic language skills. Orientation programs exist, but many see them as a formality. Some skip them altogether with the help of agents. Once abroad, small mistakes snowball. A missed renewal date or a wrong job shift can turn legal stay into a violation.

Destination countries also play a role. Tighter immigration rules, frequent checks, and shifting labor needs leave migrant workers exposed. When countries crack down, undocumented or overstaying workers top the list. Nepalis, often working in low paid and informal sectors, become easy targets.

Stopping this trend needs more than speeches. Authorities must shut down fraudulent agents, not protect them. Monitoring must start at the local level, not only in Kathmandu. Clear and simple information on visas, rights, and risks should reach villages, not just offices. Embassies must become active support centers, not silent observers. Data sharing with host countries can also help flag problems early.

Most of all, the government must accept its share of blame. Deportation is not just a foreign issue. It reflects failures at home, weak regulation, poor governance, and a system that allows people to profit from desperation. Until that changes, planes carrying deported Nepalis will keep landing, and the cycle will repeat with the next group chasing the same promise.