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🇳🇵 Nepal /Culture & Society

The price of the American dream: 14 months, 18 countries and Rs11.5 million in debt

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A Nepali man seeking the American dream spent 14 months and incurred Rs11.5 million in debt after a promised migration to the US turned into an ordeal across three continents.
  • Rajendra Khadka was initially told his journey would take a week, but instead faced repeated demands for money, visa issues, and eventual deportation.
  • The experience highlights the risks and financial burdens faced by individuals pursuing migration through unofficial channels.

Rajendra Khadka's pursuit of the American dream became a 14-month nightmare, costing his family over Rs11.5 million and ending in deportation, not resettlement.

It’s time to leave for America. Come to Kathmandu immediately.

— Caller (Agent)The phone call that initiated Rajendra Khadka's migration plan.

Khadka, a pharmacy graduate from Rukum West, was lured by promises of better income and stability in the United States. An agent assured him a swift journey through Mexico within ten days. Trusting this assurance, he handed over his passport and embarked on what he believed would be the start of a new life.

His journey, however, quickly deviated from the promised path. After arriving in Kathmandu, Khadka was moved between locations, including hotels and bus journeys to India and then flights to Mumbai. In Mumbai, he encountered around 80 other Nepalis facing similar circumstances, all hoping to reach the US.

Within a week or ten days, you will take connecting flights through Mexico and enter the US.

— Rajendra KhadkaRecalling the agent's initial promise about the migration timeline.

The situation escalated with repeated demands for money. After an initial payment of Rs500,000, Khadka was asked for an additional Rs4 million, forcing his family to borrow heavily from local moneylenders. Despite these payments, the group's visas expired, and they were blacklisted by immigration authorities. The agent's promises of resolving the paperwork proved hollow, leaving Khadka stranded and eventually deported.

The agent kept telling us he was sorting out the paperwork and that the delay was only because we were travelling entirely by air.

— Rajendra KhadkaDescribing the agent's continued assurances while Khadka was stranded in Mumbai.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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