Kathmandu, Feb 27: Chinese nationals have reportedly topped the list of crimes committed by foreign people in Nepal. Over the past five years from the fiscal year 2075/76 BS to 2079/80 BS, 100 of 332 foreign people arrested for their involvement in crimes were Chinese nationals, according to police data.
Other foreign nationals who have committed crimes in Nepal were from Bangladesh, Pakistan, France and Russia, said the police.
The crimes they have committed range from murder to polygamy, said Police Spokesperson Deputy Inspector General Bhim Prasad Dhakal.
“The number of foreign nationals who commit crimes in Nepal is increasing. Looking at the statistics recorded in the last 5 years, the highest number of foreigners who have committed crimes in Nepal are Chinese nationals.”
According to the police, Chinese citizens are also found to have involved in drug dealing, fraud, human trafficking and heinous crimes, customs evasion, call bypass, and online fraud.
Some foreigners are also found to have overstayed their visa to Nepal, said the police. In some cases, they are reported to be prolonging their stay under various pretexts like forging documents and destroying their visas.
In most cases, such foreigners have been deported to their home countries. Over the past seven years, 3,577 such foreign people have been expelled with 459 deportations in 2023 alone, according to the Department of Immigration. Around 1,412 foreign nationals are serving time in Nepal’s prisons with a majority of them being Chinese, according to available data.
Security experts argue that Nepal has been a hub for crime among foreign people due to open borders, lax enforcement of laws, and liberal visa policies.
Cooperation and support from the political leadership contributes to facilitate such crimes, they add.
