By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Mar. 25:

The government has deported 136 foreign nationals who entered Nepal on tourist visa after they were found involved in illegal activities.
According to Department of Immigration, 136 foreign nationals were expelled in the last eight months of the current fiscal year 2077/78 BS (mid-July to mid-February).
Ramesh KC, director general at the Department, said that the foreign nationals who entered Nepal on tourist visas were mostly Chinese nationals and the highest number of deported foreigners also hailed from China.
According to him, most of the expelled foreign citizens were found involved in offenses like overstay, misappropriation of foreign currency, banking fraud, drug abuse, and cybercrime.
Director General KC informed that the expelled foreign nationals have been barred from entering Nepal for one to 10 years on the basis of their guilt.
According to the Department, within eight months of the current fiscal, the department has issued visas of 13 different natures to nearly 41,000 foreigners to enter Nepal.
Of the total number of foreigners who entered the country, 32,217 were provided tourist visas in a period of eight months, out of which more than 6,000 tourist visas were issued in February alone.
Similarly, the Department issued 1,700 business visas and 884 marriage visas, 739 study visas, 25 residential visas, 2,993 relative visas, 1,912 working visas and 272 dependent visas.
The Department collected revenue of Rs. 422.62 million in eight months by issuing visas under various headings.