A group of 18 Nepali citizens, who fell victim to human trafficking and entered Bulgaria illegally, are currently detained in a deportation center in the Bulgarian capital. The arrests were made three months ago by the Bulgarian police due to the individuals’ lack of official entry documents.
The Nepali Embassy in Germany, responsible for consular services to Nepalis in Bulgaria, is actively working to facilitate their repatriation. According to a Nepali detainee, “We are currently awaiting the arrival of travel documents from the embassy. Once we receive them, the Bulgarian authorities will arrange for our flight tickets and deportation.”
Six of the detainees had attempted to seek refugee status by discarding their passports. However, this strategy proved unsuccessful. “We no longer possess our passports,” explained another Nepali. “The Bulgarian police have contacted the Nepali Embassy to request travel documents for our return. We will be deported as soon as the embassy provides these documents.”
Sagar Phuyal, Deputy Head of the Nepali Embassy in Germany, confirmed that the embassy is coordinating with the Bulgarian government to expedite the deportation process. “We have already issued the necessary travel documents, and the Bulgarian government will arrange for their flight tickets. The deportation is scheduled for next week,” he stated.
It is believed that most of the detainees initially traveled to Romania in search of foreign employment. However, after failing to secure work permits, they resorted to illegal migration to other European countries, including Bulgaria. One detainee shared, “I was planning to go to Poland. I had a three-month visa for Bulgaria, but I was arrested after it expired. Now, our only option is to return to Nepal.”
