Cost Of Deportation

On Wednesday morning, eight Nepalis deported by the United States of America arrived home following the executive order by President Donald Trump to remove illegal immigrants from that country, taking the number to 35 since President Trump's inauguration on January 20. Their arms and legs were said to have been handcuffed and shackled throughout the flight.  It remains unclear why such an inhumane step was needed and calls into question the very credential the country is best known for: the champion of human rights. The goal seems to deter illegal migration to the US. 

Over the last four years, upwards of 5,000 Nepalis have been deported from across the world. They were claimed to be deported for various reasons, including overstaying visas, committing crimes, or entering the country illegally. Some Nepalis have been caught and deported from these transit countries before reaching the US. The eight returnees have been handed over to Nepal Police's Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau to investigate whether they have been victims of human trafficking. The Bureau is said to have uncovered and identified the network of human traffickers as well as the extensive route they use to smuggle Nepalis into the US and other countries.  

As is the case with every illegal migrant, the deportees have taken out as much as nine million rupees in loans to finance their travel that entailed journeying through dense forests and crossing seas and rivers for months in over a dozen countries in Europe, Africa, and South America. Two years or so ago, this daily elaborately featured the harrowing hardships such migrants from Rukum West underwent as they made their way to the US, with some succumbing to malaria in Africa and others drowning in Panama. That the returnees might now face stigma for having been removed is understandable. The nagging worry about how they are going to repay the loan that keeps growing bigger and bigger might even prompt them to take desperate measures. 

This calls for the government to launch programmes that help them cope with this fledging mental health issue that might spiral out of control if left unaddressed. That said, without nipping the problem in the bud, the trouble may continue to manifest in newer forms. The trend of leaving the country for developed countries at any cost, particularly the West, over the last decade has grown by leaps and bounds. Now, it has become so severe that hordes of Nepalis from all backgrounds are desperate to leave the country as quickly as they can in search of greener pastures, fascinated by the glittering high-rise buildings, well-kept infrastructure, and quality of life, among other attractions.

But when they are in their dream country, not everyone is fortunate enough to live the life they previously romanticised. Some now-settled immigrants who went to the US illegally years ago, in their YouTube channels, admonish the would-be illegal immigrants in Nepal not to embark on such a treacherous journey, saying that it is not worth the risk. Some even lament that, with the kind of money they borrowed to bankroll their travel, they could've done something big in business or through other ventures back home to improve their lot. "Had things been better at home, they would have never left their country in the first place," regret many of them. 

With many countries now tightening the noose around illegal migrants, deportations are likely to rise in number. Such deportations not only weaken the country's passport but also tarnish its reputation. It is high time the government busted the network of illegal human traffickers to deter such an awful practice.