Tricked, Trafficked, and Tossed Out: Inside the Dangerous Path of Nepali Migrants Deported from the U.S.

The United States deported 48 Nepali nationals on a chartered flight that landed at Tribhuvan International Airport on April 7, including two green card holders, according to reporting and Nepali immigration data. Officials said all 48 were men, and 46 had no valid legal documents, underscoring how a growing number of Nepalis are being removed after entering or remaining in the U.S. illegally.

The April 7 flight came amid a sharp rise in deportations of Nepalis from the U.S. this year. Nepal’s Department of Immigration said 231 Nepali nationals were deported in January and February alone, including 130 in February and 101 in January, while other reporting has described 2026 as continuing the trend of large-scale removals.

Since President Donald Trump began his second term, U.S. authorities have deported 718 Nepalis who were living in the country illegally, according to the figures cited in the Nepali reporting. Nepal Police’s Human Trafficking Investigation Bureau also recorded deportations of Nepalis in earlier years, including 6 in 2022, 19 in 2023 and 139 in 2024.

Dangerous route

The journey many migrants take from Nepal to the U.S. is neither direct nor safe. A report by Nepal’s National Human Rights Commission describes a circuitous route that can run through India, Russia, Spain, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico before reaching the United States.

The route typically involves multiple forms of transport, including buses, trucks, airplanes and boats, with some migrants walking for days or weeks at a time. The most dangerous stretch is the Darién Gap, the dense jungle between Colombia and Panama, where migrants may spend more than 10 days crossing armed-group-controlled terrain.

Darién Gap hazards

The commission report, citing journalist Belén Fernández’s work, describes the Darién Gap as an especially deadly crossing marked by steep mountains, heavy rain, swamps and flood-prone areas. It also says migrants face a high risk of murder, robbery and sexual assault, and some disappear or die along the way.

The report says families are often separated during the journey, leaving children unaccompanied in some cases. Nepal Police’s anti-trafficking bureau said it does not have confirmed data on how many Nepalis have died or gone missing on the route, but officials acknowledged that such incidents have occurred.

Smuggling network

Nepali migrants who reach the U.S. through this route usually pay large sums to smugglers and middlemen. In one reported case, a Nepali migrant said the trip cost about 5 million rupees, with agents in multiple countries demanding additional payments at each stage.

Reporting from Nepal also has linked the illegal route to false asylum claims and trafficking networks operating across South Asia and Latin America. Authorities say many deportees are later taken to Nepal Police for questioning before being returned to their families.