Monitoring of foreigners overstaying without visa in Pokhara difficult due to lack of staffs

KATHMANDU, July 31: A Chinese citizen was arrested from Pokhara for a case related to drug abuse last year. Upon further investigation, it was found that she had been living illegally in Pokhara for three years and was later sent to the Department of Immigration in Kathmandu in collaboration with the Tourist Police and Immigration Office, Pokhara. 
After the case came to the surface, stakeholders have laid concerns that no one would have known about such a situation if she was not involved in a drug-related case. Similarly, seven other tourists who were illegally staying in Pokhara were deported in the last fiscal year. 
Due to the lack of intensive monitoring of the stay of foreign citizens, foreigners have been found residing in Nepal secretly in Pokhara and surrounding rural areas. 
The mechanisms established for tracking and monitoring the stay of foreign nationals in Nepal have not been running effectively. To monitor foreign citizens, the government issued the 'Foreign Citizen Monitoring Directory, 2075'. However, due to a lack of adequate monitoring, it has been found that foreign tourists misuse their visas and engage in illegal activities.
According to Nabaraj Sharma Doranga, chief of the Immigration Office, Pokhara, the work of monitoring foreign nationals in Nepal has not been effective due to the lack of manpower. He also shared that the bodies concerned are coordinating to bring illegal foreign tourists under the scope of action. The immigration office at Pokhara Damside has 11 employees. It has two helpers and a driver. He said that it was difficult because the remaining eight employees had to look after the administration and other work.
Chief Doranga admits that although the Immigration Department is in charge of monitoring foreign tourists who have overstayed their visas, it has not been effective. "Until now, the tourists who have been staying illegally have been caught only after they were found involved in illegal activities and upon getting investigated by the police," he said.
There is a legal system in which a fine of at least 50,000 rupees is imposed in the case of foreign tourists who are caught staying illegally. Under the Department of Immigration, there are 13 offices at various borders and airports across the country including Pokhara. However, due to a lack of adequate resources, not all offices have been able to work effectively.
In terms of tourist arrivals, Pokhara is considered an important city in Gandaki province. After the opening of Pokhara Regional International Airport, the first commercial flight from Chengdu, China to Pokhara took place on June 21. The immigration office set up at the airport issued tourist visas for the first time.
Apart from that, Immigration Office Pokhara has issued various types of visas for tourists in this area. Now 40 to 50 tourists come to the office daily for visa work. In the last fiscal year 2022, only 7,934 visas were issued.
Among them, 6,504 were short-term tourist visas, 864 non-tourist visas based on kinship, 156 non-tourist visas based on marriage, 204 non-resident visas, and 203 trekking permits were granted.
Along with this, the Immigration Office has been giving pre-approval to tourists for 15 places in Nepal. These include Upper Mustang, Upper Dolpo, Gorkha Manaslu Region, Humla, Taplejung, Lower Dolpo, Dolakha, Gorkha, Tsum Valley Region, Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, Rasuwa, Manang, Bajhang, Mugu and Darchula.