There appears to be an active racket involved in luring women from countries including Uganda and Kenya with promises of well-paying jobs, bringing them to Nepal and forcing them into sex trade. Minors have also been found among those who fell into the network’s trap and ended up here.

Miremba (name changed), a native of Uganda, came from a family of eight, her parents, three brothers and four sisters. When her parents separated and began living apart, the family’s financial situation severely deteriorated. Miremba dropped out of school and began dreaming of ways to overcome her family’s poverty and educate her younger siblings. 

While searching for work, Miremba met a woman named Nisha. Nisha enticed her by promising that working as a domestic helper in Malaysia would yield a good income. She put Miremba in contact with Sophie, a Ugandan woman residing in Malaysia. After several conversations, Sophie assured her that she would handle all the travel arrangements, while strictly warning her not to mention the plan to her family.

Once all preparations were complete, 17-year-old Miremba secretly flew out on December 21, 2025. However, she arrived not in Malaysia, but in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Sophie connected Miremba with Shakila, another Ugandan woman based in Kathmandu. Shakila lodged her in a hotel near the airport. Bound for Malaysia, Miremba asked Sophie, “Why did you bring me to Nepal when you said Malaysia?” Sophie assured her that she would arrange the flight ticket to Malaysia shortly.

On her third day in Kathmandu, Shakila took Miremba to a hotel in Thamel. Sophie sent the plane ticket to Malaysia but because Miremba only had 400 US dollars, immigration denied her departure clearance. She returned to the hotel.

Sophie transferred an additional 600 dollars to Shakila’s account. However, during that time, Miremba’s passport and money went missing from the hotel, shutting down her route to Malaysia. She sought help from Shakila, but Shakila stopped responding. She appealed to Sophie as well, whose response was, “Now you have to enter the sex trade.” She was stunned.

While staying at the hotel, she met an American man. With his help, Miremba got in touch with the police. On January 12, 2026, she was rescued by the Anti Human Trafficking Bureau of Nepal Police and placed in a shelter home run by Shakti Samuha. According to Bureau spokesperson Raj Limbu, after contacting the Ugandan Embassy in Delhi and preparing the necessary documentation, the teenage girl returned to her home country on April 11, 2026.

Miremba is not the first person to arrive in Nepal from the African nation of Uganda after falling for the lure of employment. An active racket appears to be bringing people from various countries to Nepal under the pretext of placing them in well-paying jobs, either in a third country or within Nepal itself, and forcing them into the sex trade. Miremba’s case demonstrates that those who fall into the racket’s trap and end up here are not exclusively from Uganda, and they even include minors.

In just about three months, police have arrested and deported 63 foreign women on charges of soliciting and engaging in obscene activities while blocking streets in the tourist hubs of Thamel in Kathmandu and Pokhara in Kaski. Among those arrested between last Chaitra and Asar (mid-March to mid-July), 45 were from Uganda, eight from Vietnam, five from Kenya, two each from Bangladesh and Thailand, and one from Indonesia. This figure indicates that human trafficking operations are running on a wide scale.

Not everyone is fortunate enough to reach the police immediately like Miremba. After running out of money, many out of sheer compulsion end up involved in the sex trade. Some of them are found intercepting foreign and domestic tourists on the streets of Pokhara and Kathmandu’s Thamel area to solicit and negotiate rates.

On June 30, 2026, four women from Uganda and one woman from Indonesia were arrested in Thamel on charges of indecent behavior and soliciting passersby with obscene activities. Following an investigation, police presented the case to the Kathmandu District Administration Office 10 days later. The administration imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each for indecent behavior. None of them could pay the fine and they were sent to the Central Jail in Sundhara. Among them, a 26-year-old woman was released on July 15 after paying the fine.

When the woman was brought to the Department of Immigration detention center for deportation proceedings, a medical examination revealed she was pregnant. “After staying in our detention center for a few days, she complained of stomach pain. We then took her to Bir Hospital on August 3 for a check-up,” an immigration official said. “Upon learning she was involved in sex work, the doctor suggested checking for pregnancy. The test showed she was five months pregnant.”

According to the official, because traveling by air becomes difficult after seven months of pregnancy, the process to deport her was expedited. “She didn’t even have money to buy a ticket. After raising funds, we sent her back on August 11,” the official added. “We decided to waive almost her entire penalty, charging her just a nominal fee of Rs 100.”

Under Section 118 of the National Penal Code, 2017, the District Administration Office can conduct hearings and issue orders similar to a court. For the women arrested on June 30, the administration had imposed the maximum fine for indecent behavior. In addition, if individuals on tourist visas engage in illegal activities, the Department of Immigration deports them after levying fines. The Department charged the pregnant Ugandan woman a token fine of Rs 100. Records from the immigration office at Tribhuvan International Airport show that she had arrived in Nepal on a tourist visa on February 27, 2026.

According to Vinay Upadhyay, Honorary Consul General of Nepal for Uganda, the woman stated she was already pregnant when she arrived in Nepal. “We did not focus on looking for proof. We prioritized her rescue,” he said.

Foreign women brought to Nepal with promises of good employment continue to face further exploitation even after being pushed into the sex trade. A 27-year-old Ugandan woman serves as an example.

She had arrived in Nepal on a tourist visa a year ago, on August 26, 2025. A 29-year-old woman named Gift received her at the airport and took her to a hotel in Thamel. Gift herself trained her on how to negotiate rates with clients for sex work. After that, the woman was forced to engage in sex trade.

The woman was assured that her tourist visa would be converted to a working visa upon her arrival in Nepal. However, the visa was never changed. Instead, on October 28, 2025, Gift and the agent took control of her passport and phone. Furthermore, Gift kept all the money she earned.

Following her rescue, she stated in her deposition to the police, “I wanted to return to my country. But I was trapped in a way that made escape impossible.” She revealed to the police that the woman named Gift had already left for another country. The victimized woman has since been repatriated to her home country by the police.

Charge sheets filed in court by the Anti Human Trafficking Bureau show that the racket recruits women by promising them jobs as salon cleaners or hotel waitresses. They are enticed with assurances of earning over 500 US dollars a month. According to victims, once brought here, they are forced into the sex trade under threats extending even to their lives.

Believing the broker’s promise of finding work as a salon cleaner in Nepal earning 500 US dollars a month, a 26-year-old Ugandan woman arrived in Nepal via Dubai on January 29, 2023.

The woman used to work at a mobile phone shop in Uganda. She was sent to Nepal through collusion between Natasha (Immaculate Nabasumba) and Regina. Regina was based in Uganda, while Natasha, also from Uganda, was in Nepal.

Natasha had told the woman, “It costs 5,000 US dollars to go to Nepal. Go to Nepal and work. I will cover all your expenses to send you to Nepal right now.” She was then sent to Nepal with 100 US dollars in cash, under an agreement that she would pay off the total debt from her earnings in Nepal.

Upon her arrival in Nepal, Natasha took her to a hotel in Thamel and forced her to have sexual relations with men. Detailing what she suffered in Kathmandu, the woman filed a complaint with the police on February 27, 2023. Based on that complaint, Natasha was arrested.

In her statement to the police and the court, the victim said, “I was forced to have relations with five to seven men a day. Natasha took all the money.” The victim has since returned to her home country.

Natasha admitted to pushing the woman into the sex trade. “I worked in the same trade. I merely showed her my workplace, massage centers and the clubs I frequented to find clients,” she testified before the Kathmandu District Court.

On March 18, 2024, the bench of Judge Krishna Prasad Sharma Nepal at the Kathmandu District Court found 25-year-old Natasha guilty, sentencing her to 10 years in prison and imposing a fine of Rs 50,000 under the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act, 2007. The court also ordered her to pay Rs 80,000 in compensation to the victim. The court further characterized the crime as an ‘act that damages the national image in the international arena’.

Following the court’s verdict, Natasha was serving her sentence at the Central Jail. She has been on the run since the Gen-Z movement that took place in September last year. According to Chomendra Neupane, spokesperson for the Department of Prison Management, Natasha is among more than 600 foreigners who escaped from prison and absconded on September 9, 2025. “We have circulated their details to border checkpoints and the airport. They can be apprehended at any time when entering or exiting Nepal,” he said.

According to Tikaram Dhakal, Director at the Department of Immigration, 132 individuals arrived in Nepal from Uganda over the three-month period between mid-April and mid-July, of which only 25 were men while the remaining were women. Out of 217 people arriving from Kenya, 110 were men and 117 were women. During the same period, 3,042 people arrived from Vietnam, including 2,022 women. However, it cannot be confirmed that all women arriving during this time were brought in through trafficking rackets. Some may have visited solely for tourism or other purposes.

“If they had disclosed who brought them to Nepal, it would have been easier to advance the investigation.”

Among those who face indecent behavior charges and are deported, the highest numbers are from Uganda, Vietnam and Kenya. Before deportation, they are arrested by the police, charged with indecent behavior and fined. When arresting such individuals, the police cite their involvement in sex work or indecent behavior while in Nepal on tourist visas as the reason.

On April 7, 2026, police took 22 individuals into custody in a single day on charges of standing at various intersections in Thamel, blocking pathways and engaging in indecent behavior. An additional 38 individuals were arrested between then and July. Among those detained was a 53-year-old woman. There were 29 individuals aged 30 to 39, 16 aged 20 to 29, and 14 aged 40 to 49.

The District Administration Office in Kathmandu released them from custody after collecting fines ranging from Rs 1,700 to Rs 10,000. Under Section 118 (1) of the National Penal Code, 2017, anyone who engages in indecent behavior, commits assault or causes harassment in a public place can face up to one year in prison, a fine of up to Rs 10,000, or both.

Those unable to pay the fine imposed by the administration are sent to prison. Upon release from police custody or prison, they are transferred to the Department of Immigration for deportation on grounds of misusing their tourist visas. The Department of Immigration executes the deportation following a decision from the Ministry of Home Affairs. From mid-June to mid-July alone, 17 individuals were taken into custody and deported.

Rackets remain unapprehended

Although foreign women who enter Nepal on tourist visas and become involved in the sex trade are frequently arrested, those involved in the rackets that lure them here with various promises are rarely apprehended.

None of the individuals involved in bringing 17-year-old Miremba here were arrested. “Because the individuals involved in bringing her to Nepal are based in Uganda, we could not take direct action,” said Limbu, spokesperson for the Anti Human Trafficking Bureau. “Since the victimized teenage girl has been repatriated, the police in the concerned country may be conducting the investigation.”

Police have placed Shakila, who abandoned Miremba, on their wanted list. According to the police, they have also examined her travel record to and from Nepal. Bureau spokesperson Limbu said, “We investigated the person who received the girl at the airport, took her to the hotel and subsequently abandoned her. However, we found that the individual had already departed Nepal.”

According to the bureau, Shakila had previously been deported by the Department of Immigration after she was found overstaying her visa.

NIMJN contacted Shakila, who confirmed she was in Uganda. Prior to being informed about the case, she was regularly in touch via WhatsApp. However, when NIMJN brought up the issue of the teenage girl being abandoned in Nepal, she stated, “I know nothing about this. Do not message me again.”

Vinay Upadhyay, Honorary Consul General of Nepal for Uganda, stated that individuals from Uganda itself might be involved in bringing women to Nepal. “We haven’t been able to easily identify who brought them. Suspicion was cast on one woman who appears to have visited Nepal six or seven times. However, she has already escaped,” he said. “She was actually rescued and sent back on grounds that she was in trouble. Nothing else about her activities was known at the time.”

Superintendent of Police (SP) Pawan Bhattarai, currently head of Parsa Police, who closely monitored such investigations while stationed in Kathmandu, noted that in-depth investigations are hampered because victims themselves are reluctant to reveal details about their perpetrators. “If they had disclosed who brought them to Nepal, it would have been easier to advance the investigation,” he said.

An official from the District Administration Office in Kathmandu involved in these cases similarly mentioned that victimized women refrain from identifying the individuals who brought them to Nepal. “The police bring the case to the administration after conducting an initial phase of investigation but we also question them,” he said. “However, they do not wish to disclose who brought them. Some say they came at the invitation of a boyfriend, while others claim they came in search of work.”

Clients recruited by Nepalis themselves

According to police officers involved in the investigations, those who recruit clients for women in the sex trade are found to be Nepalis themselves. A police officer stated that client solicitation mostly takes place via WhatsApp. “The people who find rooms and arrange clients are Nepalis,” he said.

The individuals who find clients here are also not brought under the scope of investigation. The police officer explained that because cases were filed against the arrested foreign women in Pokhara and the Thamel area on charges of indecent behavior, the involvement of other parties was not pursued.

SP Bhattarai noted that after law enforcement stepped up action, foreign women involved in the sex trade began shifting their locations. “As police monitoring increased, they formed groups on social media to stay connected. As soon as arrests happen in one place, they move to another. They keep each other informed,” he said.

Is Nepal just a transit point?

Officials involved in investigations state that rackets bring women from countries including Uganda and push them into the sex trade partly because food and accommodation are inexpensive in Nepal and on-arrival visas are available. Meanwhile, some are lured with promises of being taken to another country with better job prospects via Nepal.

According to a police officer involved in the investigations, passports with Chinese visas stamped in them were found on most of the arrested Ugandan women. “Their primary objective appears to be going to China,” he said. “Some were also found to have arrived with plans to go to India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. This indicates that Nepal is also being used as a transit point for human trafficking.”

Vinay Upadhyay, Honorary Consul General of Nepal for Uganda, stated that women are falling into these traps due to the perception in Uganda that securing a Chinese visa is somewhat easier after reaching Nepal. “Lately, it appears that people from Uganda are using Nepal as a transit point to travel to other countries as well,” he said.

However, there are no official records anywhere of how many women have been sent to other countries using Nepal as a transit hub nor has an in-depth investigation been conducted regarding this issue. An official at the Anti Human Trafficking Bureau mentioned that Shakila, who came under the scope of investigation, was found to be using agents to dispatch Ugandan women to Malaysia and China as well.

Charimaya Tamang, Chairperson of Shakti Samuha Nepal, suggests that an organized racket could be operating to bring Ugandan women to Nepal. “A network might be involved both in sending Nepalis to Uganda and bringing Ugandans to Nepal,” she said.

What is Uganda doing?

The Ugandan government has shown concern after discovering that women from its country have been involved in sex trade, which is prohibited under Nepali law. Uganda does not have an embassy in Nepal. Issues concerning Nepal are overseen by its embassy in New Delhi, India.

To assist its citizens, Uganda appointed industrialist Vinay Upadhyay as its Honorary Consul General to Nepal on August 19, 2025. Following a wave of its citizens being arrested and deported from Nepal, the Ugandan government activated the Consul General. “I have been facilitating solutions for problems faced by everyone from minors to adults. Since language is a major barrier for them, I coordinate with the embassy in Delhi,” Vinay said. “I assist in issuing travel documents for those without passports and facilitate the repatriation of those who are arrested.” He added that he has also been rescuing those stranded on the streets and arranging medical treatment for those who fall ill.

Vinay stated that the Ugandan government took special interest after discovering that minors were also being brought to Nepal. “Women were being brought from Uganda under the pretext that there is a place called Thamel in Kathmandu with major clubs where they could find work and earn 500 to 1,000 US dollars a month,” he said.

According to Vinay, they arrive here on tourist visas. There are no direct flights from Uganda to Kathmandu. They travel via Dubai, Delhi or Mumbai to reach Kathmandu.

Vinay mentioned that he has already urged the Ugandan government, through the embassy in India, to adopt a strict policy to stop those traveling on tourist visas under the impression of finding work in Nepal. “Stopping people from traveling to Nepal altogether isn’t feasible but controls must be tightened. I have suggested making it mandatory to have return tickets and hotel bookings before departing from Uganda,” he said. “Hopefully, such issues will not recur as they did in the past.”

Cover photo: Ugandan women brought to the airport for deportation following their arrest. Photo: Makar Shrestha/NIMJN

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