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Emigration and immigration

Corruption and Abuse of Authority at Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Tribhuvan International Airport, Nepal's only operational international airport, has been plagued by allegations of corruption, abuse of authority, and collusion between middlemen and immigration officials. The airport has become a hub for illicit activities, including gold smuggling and human trafficking. The latest development involves the arrest of Joint Secretary Tirthraj Bhattarai, the head of the Immigration Office at TIA, on charges of accepting bribes to allow migrant workers to fly abroad on visitor visas. This practice puts countless Nepali migrant workers, particularly women, at significant risk of exploitation and abuse.

Key Takeaways:

  • Tens of thousands of Nepali women are employed as domestic help in the Gulf, often having bypassed official channels.
  • The government's 2017 ban on Nepali women traveling to Gulf countries for domestic work was widely criticized as being discriminatory and counterproductive.
  • The Ministry of Home Affairs introduced a six-point directive in January 2024 to address the misuse of visitor visas, but implementation was weak.
  • Officers from the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau were recently removed from their posts, leaving immigration officials to operate with little fear of accountability.
  • The persistent cycle of corruption and systemic failure at TIA has jeopardized the safety and rights of Nepali migrant workers, particularly women.
  • The government has failed to implement effective measures to prevent human trafficking and exploitation at TIA.
  • The Immigration Office at TIA has no record of how many Nepali women traveling on visit visas return, making it difficult for the government to locate and assist those who may be stranded, trafficked, or exploited abroad.

Statistics:

  • Tens of thousands of Nepali women are employed as domestic help in the Gulf.
  • The government's ban on Nepali women traveling to Gulf countries for domestic work in 2017 resulted in an estimated tens of thousands of women bypassing official channels to migrate.
  • In 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs introduced a six-point directive to address the misuse of visitor visas.
  • 500 US dollars in foreign currency is required as proof for travelers to enter Nepal under the current directives.

Sources:

  • Himalayan Times Media Entertainment and Tech Ltd, 2025
  • Contify.com

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