Kathmandu, 28 August: Taking benefit of the weak security mechanism in the country, foreigners are visiting Nepal and staying here illegally. Nepal has become center for illegal refugees. Specially, people from conflict-hit countries are arriving in Nepal and staying illegally, reports Drishti Online portal.
Besides Bhutanese and Tibetan refugees, there are refugees from above 10 nations staying in Nepal illegally for years.
The government has no policy to give shelter to the refugees from other countries, even though, refugees from Myanmar to Africa are sheltered in Nepal. Such stay of refugees has intensified security threats for the country.
UNHCR, the UN organization related to the refugee affairs by taking benefit of weak state mechanism, has manipulated its role by providing refugee status to the foreigners staying illegally in the country.
Presently, there are refugees from Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Somalia, Pakistan, Congo, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka illegally staying in Nepal. The number of the Pakistani refugees is higher compared to refugees from other countries. UNHCR has provided them identity card, however, Ramkrishna Subedi, spokesperson, Home Ministry, says, they are the foreigners staying here illegally.
UNHCR is not only encouraging foreigners to travel Nepal and stay here illegally but also playing the role of an agent to send them to foreign countries, say officials in the Immigration Department.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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