Nepal

Detains migrants or asylum seekers?

Yes

Has laws regulating migration-related detention?

Yes

Refugees

19,560

2022

Asylum Applications

154

2022

International Migrants

487,564

2020

Population

30,900,000

2023

Overview

Types of facilities used for migration-related detention
Administrative Ad Hoc Criminal Unknown

28 March 2020 – Nepal

On 16 March 2020, the Nepalese government restricted the numbers of visitors that can access prisons. Advocacy Forum-Nepal released a statement on 28 March 2020 urging the government to take actions to sanitise and disinfect prisons, detention centres and Child Correction Homes; provide prisoners and detainees with personal protection equipment (face mask, hand sanitiser, soap […]

Read More…

Central Jail in Kathmandu, (https://english.khabarhub.com/2020/16/82343/)
Last updated:

DETENTION STATISTICS

Total Migration Detainees: Flow + Stock (year)
Not Available
2019

DETAINEE DATA

DETENTION CAPACITY

ALTERNATIVES TO DETENTION

ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT DATA

Number of Deportations/Forced Removals (Year)
332
2020

PRISON DATA

Criminal Prison Population (Year)
17,966
2016
10,739
2010
6,952
2007
6,393
2004
5,995
2001
7,000
1998
6,200
1994
Percentage of Foreign Prisoners (Year)
5.5
2014
Prison Population Rate (per 100,000 of National Population)
62
2016
36
2010
24
2007
24
2004
24
2001
30
1998
29
1994

POPULATION DATA

Population (Year)
30,900,000
2023
29,100,000
2020
28,514,000
2015
International Migrants (Year)
487,564
2020
490,802
2019
518,200
2015
International Migrants as Percentage of Population (Year)
1.67
2020
1.8
2015
Refugees (Year)
19,560
2022
19,574
2021
19,555
2020
19,570
2019
20,808
2018
21,471
2017
25,244
2016
32,667
2015
38,490
2014
Ratio of Refugees Per 1000 Inhabitants (Year)
0.88
2016
1.37
2014
Asylum Applications (Year)
154
2022
58
2019
125
2016
146
2014
Refugee Recognition Rate (Year)
59.5
2014
Stateless Persons (Year)
452
2022
0
2016
0
2015

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DATA & POLLS

Gross Domestic Product per Capita (in USD)
701
2014
Remittances to the Country
5,874
2014
Unemployment Rate
2014
Net Official Development Assistance (ODA) (in Millions USD)
880.1
2014
Human Development Index Ranking (UNDP)
145 (Low)
2015

MIGRATION-RELATED DETENTION

Does the Country Detain People for Migration, Asylum, or Citizenship Reasons?
Yes
2016
Does the Country Have Specific Laws that Provide for Migration-Related Detention?
Yes
2008

GOVERNANCE SYSTEM

Legal Tradition(s)
Customary law
2017
Common law
2017

LEGAL & REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

Detention-Related Legislation
Immigration Manual 2008 (2008)
2008

GROUNDS FOR MIGRATION-RELATED DETENTION

LENGTH OF MIGRATION-RELATED DETENTION

MIGRATION-RELATED DETENTION INSTITUTIONS

PROCEDURAL STANDARDS & SAFEGUARDS

DETENTION MONITORS

> National human rights monitoring bodies

> National Preventive Mechanisms (Optional Protocol to UN Convetion against Torture)

> Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

> Governmental monitoring bodies

> International detention monitoring

TRANSPARENCY

READMISSION/RETURN/EXTRADITION AGREEMENTS

COVID-19

HEALTH CARE

COVID-19 DATA

INTERNATIONAL TREATIES

International Treaties Ratified
Ratification Year
Observation Date
CRC, Convention on the Rights of the Child
1990
2017
VCCR, Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
1965
2017
ICERD, International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
1971
2017
ICESCR, International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
1991
2017
ICCPR, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
1991
2017
CEDAW, Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
1991
2017
CAT, Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
1991
2017
CRPD, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
2010
2017
Ratio of relevant international treaties ratified
Ratio: 8/19
Treaty Reservations
Reservation Year
Observation Date
Individual Complaints Procedures
Acceptance Year
CRPD, Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2010
2010
ICCPR, First Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966 1991
1991
CEDAW, Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, 1999 2007
2007
Ratio of Complaints Procedures Accepted
Observation Date
3/7
2017
Relevant Recommendations Issued by Treaty Bodies
Recommendation Year
Observation Date
Committee on the Rights of the Child § 61. "The Committee reiterates its previous recommendations (see CRC/C/15/ Add.261, para. 80) and recommends that the State party: (a) Take legislative, administrative and institutional measures to ensure that all children are registered at birth, including children born to refugees and asylum seekers; (b) Adopt domestic legislation covering the rights of refugees and asylum seekers in line with international standards; (c) Seek to ensure, as a matter of priority, that all refugee and asylum-seeking children and their families have access to health and education services, and that all their rights contained in the Convention are protected, including the right to be registered at birth; (d) Carry out a comprehensive registration exercise for the long-staying Tibetan population and their children in order to provide them with documentation and promote the enjoyment of their human rights, as well as access to basic services, as already recommended in the Committee’s previous concluding observations (see CRC/C/15/Add.261, paras. 43-44 and 80)." 2016
2016
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 37.The Committee remains concerned that the State party does not have a formal asylum recognition system to ensure the respect of the principle of non-refoulement, and that, while it has provided temporary shelter on humanitarian grounds to thousands of refugees from Tibet Autonomous Region and Bhutan, it states that it is not in a position to accept any other refugees due to practical considerations. The Committee is also concerned by reports of large numbers of stateless persons in Nepal, and by reports that Tibetan refugees and their children, including those born in Nepal and who have been living in Nepal for decades, are not provided with identity documents and are consequently exposed to fines, detention and deportation for irregular stay, and are unable to obtain an education, open a bank account, obtain a driver’s licence and travel (arts. 2 and 5–6). 2018
2018

NON-TREATY-BASED INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS MECHANISMS

Relevant Recommendations from the UN Universal Periodic Review
Observation Date
No 2015
2017
No 2011
2017
Yes 2021

REGIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS MECHANISMS

DETENTION COSTS

OUTSOURCING

FOREIGN SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR DETENTION OPERATIONS