Bhutanese refugees scam

The Bhutanese refugees scam was a fraud scheme that duped over 800 Nepalis out of millions of rupees by giving them fictitious documents in the name of asylum seekers from Bhutan who were qualified for resettlement in other countries.^[1] A political-bureaucratic network and intermediaries were involved in this complex plan.^[2][3] The scandal has made the pervasive corruption in Nepal's political and administrative structures public, leading to the arrest of 30 individuals including former deputy prime minister Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, former home minister Bal Krishna Khand and former home secretary Tek Narayan Pandey.^[4] The case remains ongoing, with key defendants either in judicial custody or released on bail pending trial at the Kathmandu District Court. ^[5]

Bhutan, a small landlocked nation in South Asia, has perpetrated ethnic cleansing of the Lhotshampa. It is alleged that the government's efforts to preserve Bhutanese culture led to the forcible eviction of thousands of Lhotshampas, or individuals of Nepali heritage, from Bhutan in the late 1980s and early 1990s.^[6] These people applied for asylum in nearby nations, particularly Nepal, which took in the most Bhutanese refugees.^[7]

Ethnic Nepalis, known as Lhotshampas ("southerners"), had lived in the southern districts of Bhutan for generations.^[8] However, citing concerns about illegal immigration and seeking to promote a unified national identity under the "One Nation, One People" policy, the Bhutanese government implemented stricter measures in the late 1980s.^[9] Key among these were the 1985 Citizenship Act, which retroactively required proof of residence prior to 1958, and a stringent census operation starting in 1988 primarily targeting southern Bhutan.^[9]

Addressing the refugee situation became a major bilateral issue between Nepal and Bhutan. A Joint Ministerial Level Committee (JMLC) was formed in 1993.^[8] By 1993, the two governments had agreed to categorize the camp population into four groups: (1) Bonafide Bhutanese evicted forcefully, (2) Bhutanese who emigrated (including those who signed VMFs, often alleged under duress), (3) Non-Bhutanese people, and (4) Bhutanese who committed criminal acts.^[8]

A Joint Verification Team (JVT) was eventually formed in late 2001 to begin field verification, starting with the Khudunabari camp. The process required refugees to provide extensive documentation, often difficult for those who fled hastily or whose papers were confiscated. The verification process was extremely slow (averaging only a few families per day) and fraught with disagreements over methodology and documentation, leading to widespread frustration among refugees and observers who suspected delaying tactics by Bhutan. Ultimately, the verification process stalled, and large-scale repatriation never occurred.

With repatriation prospects dimming, a major international effort began in 2007 to resettle the Bhutanese refugees from the Nepali camps to third countries. Led by the United States, and involving Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and the UK, this program became one of the world's most successful large-scale resettlements.^[10] Between 2007 and 2016, over 113,500 Bhutanese refugees were resettled from Nepal.^[10]

By the end of the group resettlement program, the refugee camps were consolidated, and the remaining population significantly reduced. As of November 2020, UNHCR reported around 6,300 Bhutanese refugees remained in Nepal, with the focus shifting towards local integration and self-reliance rather than further large-scale resettlement.^[11] It was in this context, where genuine large-scale resettlement opportunities had ceased, that the scam emerged, fraudulently promising this outcome to Nepali citizens.^[10]

This fraud came to the limelight when more than 160 victims, frustrated by their long wait, and loss of hard-earned money, registered a complaint at the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA). ^[12][13] These victims, who were Nepali citizens, paid sums ranging from Rs 1 million to Rs 5 million, based on promises from fraudulent credential-wielding individuals identifying them as Bhutanese refugees eligible for resettlement, especially to the United States.^[14]Strangely, they had no idea of the manipulation done by the scammers to project them as Bhutanese asylum seekers.^[12] According to information uncovered during investigations by law enforcement organizations, Pandey got millions of rupees in bribes for his involvement in the crime. An important milestone in the continuing probe is Pandey's arrest.^[15]

The widespread corruption in Nepal's political and administrative structures has come to light as a result of the scam involving Bhutanese refugees.^[16] Experts have emphasized the presence of a link between intermediaries, bureaucrats, and politicians that feeds the country's systemic corruption.^[17] Nationwide outrage followed the revelation that prominent political party officials had promised Nepali individuals false identities as Bhutanese refugees in exchange for millions of dollars.^[18] The scope of the swindle was revealed by a report written by the task group under Panthi's direction. The UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) had officially recognized 429 people as Bhutanese refugees, according to the report.^[19][20]

The first arrests were made on March 26, 2023, when police arrested middlemen Keshav Dulal, Sanu Bhandari, and Tanka Gurung.^[5] On May 2-4, police arrested Indrajit Rai, security adviser to then-home minister Ram Bahadur Thapa, former home secretary Tek Narayan Pandey and Sandeep Rayamajhi (son of Top Bahadur Rayamajhi) after earlier arrests revealed their involvement. ^[21] On May 10, former Home Minister and Nepali Congress politician Bal Krishna Khand was detained at his home in Nepal for his complicity in the trafficking of Nepali individuals as Bhutanese refugees overseas.^[22] On May 14, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, former secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) and former Energy Minister, was arrested after being on the run for more than 10 days.^[23][24] Other arrestees were Niraj Rai (son of Indrajit Rai), Ang Tawa Sherpa, Tek Nath Rijal, Ram Sharan KC, Sandesh Sharma Pokhrel, and Sagar Thulung.^[4][25] At the time of the investigation, police were also looking for evidence linked to Arzu Rana Deuba, a member of parliament, and Manju Khand, the wife of the detained former Home Minister Khand, since they are accused of knowing about or being involved in the alleged trafficking plan.^[26][27] In November 2025, the investigation was reopened and intensified resulting in the arrest of middleman Niranjan Kumar Kharel and broker Bechan Jha. ^[28]

The investigation and arrests were made under the leadership of then-AIG Manoj KC.^[29]

• Nepal visit visa extortion scandal

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