Bhutan Tricks the U.S. and Nepal: Deported Citizens Rerouted to Nepal via Bhutan, Arrested, Future Uncertain

In a surprising turn of events, former Bhutanese refugees deported from the United States have been arrested in Nepal after being rerouted through Bhutan, leaving authorities uncertain about how to manage the situation.

The deportees, originally Bhutanese refugees resettled in the U.S. under a third-country resettlement program facilitated by the United Nations, lost their green cards due to criminal activities and were deported from the U.S. However, Bhutan refused to accept them as citizens, redirecting them to Nepal, where they now face legal limbo.

Tightened Border Security Amid Concerns

Nepal has heightened security along its borders due to fears that more deportees from the U.S. might attempt to enter the country. The District Police Office in Jhapa reported that the arrests took place in the Beldangi refugee camp after local residents tipped off authorities.

Among those detained is 36-year-old Roshan Tamang, who was deported from the U.S. after being convicted of sexual assault, resulting in the revocation of his green card. Alongside Tamang, three others were arrested by police on Saturday at the Beldangi camp.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Khagendra Khadka from the Jhapa District Police stated that the arrested individuals were initially transferred to the Immigration Office in Kakadvitta. However, they were later handed over to the police due to a lack of available space at the Kakadvitta Immigration Department to detain them.

Immigration officials told NepYork that they will initiate procedures only after the police investigation concludes. The police are investigating the deportees’ backgrounds, and no immigration actions will proceed until the investigation is complete.

Bhutan’s Deceptive Maneuver

The deportees landed at Paro International Airport in Bhutan on Friday. Bhutanese authorities provided them with food before transporting them to Phuentsholing, a border town near India, and releasing them.

From there, they crossed into Nepal via the Panitanki border point. Three of them reached the Beldangi camp by Friday night and were arrested the following day based on information from locals.

DSP Khadka confirmed that, although the U.S. deported them to Bhutan, Bhutan’s refusal to accept them as citizens led to their redirection to Nepal, where they were subsequently detained.

Search for Seven Others Intensifies

Police suspect that 10 individuals were deported from the U.S. to Bhutan, with three now in custody in Jhapa. The whereabouts of the remaining seven are unknown, prompting an ongoing investigation to determine whether they remain in Bhutan or are hiding in Nepal.

Authorities describe the situation as unprecedented for Nepal, with Jhapa’s Chief District Officer, Gopal Kumar Adhikari, noting that coordination with higher authorities and the Immigration Office is underway to address this novel challenge. The type of immigration action to be taken against the detainees remains unclear.

Criminal Backgrounds of the Deportees

The deportees had been resettled in the U.S. as refugees through a UN verification process but lost their legal status due to criminal convictions. Roshan Tamang, for instance, was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 11 in Cincinnati, Ohio, following a conviction for sexual assault.

ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Detroit Field Office Director, Robert Lynch, stated that Tamang’s crimes—serious sexual misconduct, interference with arresting officers, drug possession, criminal mischief, and trespassing—posed a significant threat to the community. Tamang, standing 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 130 pounds, was held in Butler County Jail before being deported to Bhutan in late March.

Despite final deportation orders, the U.S. had previously struggled to expel such individuals because Bhutan consistently refused to accept them.

However, after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened visa restrictions on Bhutan, the country reluctantly accepted this group—only to promptly redirect them to India, from where they entered Nepal.

History of ICE Arrests

While many Bhutanese refugees resettled in the U.S. through the United Nations program are classified as Bhutanese citizens until they obtain U.S. citizenship, the Trump administration has intensified deportations of those involved in criminal activities or lacking proper documentation.

Reports indicate that since Trump took office, over 20 Bhutanese individuals have been detained by ICE across various locations. However, the trend of arrests predates Trump, with 51 Bhutanese detained by ICE during the four years of the Biden administration—15 in fiscal year 2021, 12 in 2022, 12 in 2023, and 12 in 2024. Despite these arrests, ICE was unable to deport most of them due to Bhutan’s refusal to accept them.

ICE successfully deported one Bhutanese individual in each of fiscal years 2018 and 2019, though it remains unclear whether these individuals were refugees or had entered the U.S. through other channels with valid Bhutanese passports.

For those without passports, deportation depends on Bhutan issuing travel documents, which it has historically declined to do—until this recent instance, prompted by U.S. pressure.

Bhutan’s Unusual Move Sparks Confusion

Bhutan’s refusal to retain these deportees, despite accepting them from the U.S., has baffled authorities. After being dropped at the Indian border, the group made their way to Nepal, leaving Nepali officials unsure of how to proceed.

DSP Khadka emphasized that police have issued an alert to detain any undocumented individuals entering refugee camps, urging locals to report suspicious newcomers immediately. Reports suggest that India, too, has refused to host Bhutanese refugees, potentially driving more to Nepal.

Broader Implications and Ongoing Investigations

Nepal Police view this as a new challenge, with uncertainties lingering about the deportees’ fate. The U.S. has ramped up deportations under President Trump’s second term, targeting undocumented immigrants and those involved in criminal activities.

Meanwhile, Bhutan’s rejection of its former citizens—expelled from the country decades ago—has been described as ironic by officials. Human rights advocates argue that deporting these individuals, who lack a homeland, risks rendering them stateless and that they should face punishment in the U.S. rather than deportation.

The Bhutanese refugee crisis dates back to the 1990s when ethnic Nepali-speaking Bhutanese were forcibly expelled by the Bhutanese government. Many settled in refugee camps in eastern Nepal, including Jhapa and Morang, under the supervision of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

While most have been resettled in third countries like the U.S., around 7,000 remain in Nepal. The failure of Nepal and Bhutan to implement a repatriation agreement has prolonged the issue, with this latest incident highlighting the ongoing complexities.