Nepal Sees Rise in Rohingya, Pakistani, and Somali Refugees Entering the Country

Nepal’s Inspector General of Police, Dan Bahadur Karki, has stated that the open border, illegal entry of refugees, and lack of legal jurisdiction are major challenges to the country’s border security.

Speaking at a meeting of the Federalism Empowerment and National Concerns Committee at Singh Durbar on Friday, Inspector General Karki briefed the committee on the problems faced by the police in terms of border security and crime control.

According to Karki, there has been a recent surge in Rohingya, Pakistani, and Somali refugees entering Nepal illegally via India. These individuals have been found to be involved in security-sensitive activities, including drug trafficking, and have been taken under control by the police.

The issue of Rohingya refugees has also been identified as a challenge to border security. The police have been working to identify and control Rohingya and other foreign nationals who attempt to enter Nepal from India and settle in various parts of the country.

Some of these individuals have been found to be involved in crimes such as drug trafficking. Karki also informed the meeting that some Nepalis have been arrested by Indian police on charges of smuggling while purchasing fertilizer from across the border.

Regarding the issue, Karki stated that ‘police-to-police’ coordination and diplomatic efforts are underway, and the individuals are expected to be released soon after completing the necessary legal procedures.

Discussing the issue of legal complexities, Karki pointed out that the lack of extraterritorial jurisdiction has created problems in investigating cases such as theft. ‘Recently, in a case related to fertilizer smuggling along the southern border, necessary procedures have been initiated through police-to-police coordination and diplomatic efforts,’ he said.

Karki also stated that the police have identified the smuggling of illegal arms, drug trafficking, and cyber scams as major challenges in the border areas. He noted that the public has lost billions of rupees due to scams and online banking fraud, particularly those involving foreign employment and OTP scams.

‘The legal boundary has created challenges, especially in cases like theft. The open border has led to an increase in challenges such as arms and drug smuggling, inter-country organized crime, cyber scams, online scams, human trafficking, illegal foreign employment, banking fraud, and online gambling,’ he said.

‘To address these challenges, the Nepal Police has been working to make border security more effective through regular patrols, surveillance, and joint security operations, as well as the use of technology such as drones, scanners, and trained dogs (K-9),’ Karki added.