Twenty Nepali citizens who were en route to enter the United States without visas through Mexico were deported from Panama to Nepal. Each individual in this group had paid human smugglers up to $100,000 to facilitate their journey.
They were arrested in Panama for violating the country’s immigration laws by entering without valid visas. The deportation was carried out via Omni Air International flight number OY3148/OAE3148, with the group transiting through Senegal, Cameroon, Kenya, and India before arriving in Nepal.
According to the Immigration Office at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, 14 of the deportees possessed passports, while the remaining six were issued travel documents by the Nepali Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The operation was conducted with the cooperation of the Panamanian government and supported by U.S. authorities. This marks the third instance of a large-scale deportation of Nepalis via chartered flight under the Trump administration.
Previously, the U.S. deported 11 Nepalis on one chartered flight and three on another, both arriving in Kathmandu. In addition to these chartered deportations, a significant number of Nepalis have been deported via regular commercial flights.
Since the start of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, a total of 82 Nepalis have been deported from the U.S. to Nepal as of April 30, 2025, with an additional two individuals deported to Panama. The number of Nepali citizens deported from the United States saw a slight decline in April 2025 compared to March, according to data from Nepal’s airport immigration authorities.
In April, 26 Nepalis—comprising 23 men and 3 women—were deported from the U.S., a decrease from the 30 deportations recorded in March, which included 24 men and 6 women. The deportation trend began with 6 Nepalis in January, followed by 20 in February—including a notable single-day deportation of 6 individuals on February 8—and 30 in March.
The data highlights a significant increase in deportations in 2025 compared to previous years. In 2024, 52 Nepalis were deported from the U.S. over the entire year, whereas the first four months of 2025 alone have seen nearly double that number. Historical data from Nepal’s Immigration Department shows 24 deportations in 2023, 22 in 2022, and 35 in 2021. Between January 17, 2021, and December 30, 2024, a total of 133 Nepalis were deported from the U.S.
Nepal has consistently facilitated the repatriation of its citizens deported from the U.S. The Nepali Embassy in Washington, D.C., has been cooperative, promptly issuing travel documents for deportees upon request from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Unlike some countries that face penalties, including U.S. visa restrictions for government officials, for refusing to accept deportees, Nepal has faced no such issues due to its compliance.
While exact figures on Nepali detentions by ICE under the current Trump administration are unavailable, the Biden administration (2021–2025) saw 132 Nepalis arrested by ICE and over 2,700 detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the border, with a total of 2,891 Nepalis held in ICE custody over four years.
In 2024, 710 Nepalis were detained, including 35 arrested by ICE, 10 of whom were convicted of various crimes. In 2023, 835 were detained, with 56 arrests by ICE, including 11 convicted individuals.
The Department of Homeland Security reports that nearly 9,000 Nepalis entered the U.S. without visas during the Biden administration, with only about 2,800 detained by ICE, while others were released under the “catch and release” policy.
In contrast, during the first Trump administration (2017–2021), 1,850 Nepalis entered without visas, a number that surged nearly fivefold under Biden. In fiscal year 2024 (October 2023–September 2024), a record 3,690 Nepalis entered the U.S. without visas.
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Dipendra Dhungana
View More PostsDipendra Dhungana is a journalist based in Kathmandu with over a decade of experience in photojournalism. He currently works for Nepal’s national daily newspaper, Naya Patrika Daily. His work has been featured in numerous national and international outlets, showcasing the stories and resilience of the Nepali people. He is also a contributing journalist for NepYork.
