Episode: KPN 10-08-2026

Nepal police say 526 Rohingya entered through open India border

Nepal Police say 526 Rohingya refugees are currently living in the country after entering at different times through the open Nepal-India border, prompting authorities to strengthen monitoring amid concerns over unauthorized cross-border movement.

Central Police Spokesperson Deputy Inspector General Avinarayan Kafle said police records show the Rohingya population includes 162 men, 148 women and 216 children.

They are reportedly living in several locations in and around the Kathmandu Valley, including Kapan, Lasuntar and Ram Mandir in Kathmandu and Sunakothi in Lalitpur.

Police described their entry as unauthorized and attributed difficulties in detecting cross-border movement to Nepal’s open border with India and limited technology-based surveillance.

Police Strengthen Monitoring Along Nepal-India Border

DIG Kafle said security personnel stationed along border areas had been instructed to intensify monitoring to prevent unauthorized entry by foreign nationals.

“Due to the open border and the absence of technology-based security surveillance, identifying individuals with similar appearances has become challenging,” Kafle told a press briefing at Police Headquarters.

“Special monitoring measures have been intensified to prevent illegal entry of foreign citizens,” he added.

The figures and characterization of the Rohingya refugees’ immigration status are based on Nepal Police records and statements.

216 Children Among Rohingya Recorded in Nepal

According to the police breakdown, children constitute the largest group among the 526 Rohingya recorded in Nepal.

The figures include:

• 162 men
• 148 women
• 216 children
• 526 people in total

Police said the refugees had entered Nepal through different border points at various times rather than as a single group.

No additional details were provided in the source material about when most of the Rohingya arrived, their places of origin or their individual protection and asylum status.

Rohingya Living in Kathmandu and Lalitpur

Police identified Kapan, Lasuntar and Ram Mandir in Kathmandu and Sunakothi in neighbouring Lalitpur as areas where Rohingya families are residing.

Nepal shares a long and traditionally open border with India, allowing extensive cross-border movement between citizens of the two countries.

Police said the absence of advanced surveillance technology creates challenges in detecting unauthorized entry by third-country nationals.

The latest disclosure places renewed attention on the situation of Rohingya who have travelled beyond their principal places of refuge in Bangladesh and other parts of South and Southeast Asia.

Rohingya Remain a Stateless and Displaced Community

Rohingya are a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority originating from Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Decades of persecution, restrictions on citizenship and successive waves of violence have displaced large numbers of the community across the region.

The source material does not provide details about the legal or refugee-protection status of the 526 Rohingya currently recorded in Nepal.

Any assessment of their immigration status is distinct from questions concerning international protection, including whether individuals could face persecution or serious harm if returned to their country of origin.

Nepal Police Put 10,000 Personnel on Disaster Alert

Separately, Nepal Police said more than 10,000 personnel had been placed on standby for possible natural disasters across the country.

Kafle said police units at the central, provincial, district and local levels had been prepared and equipped for emergency response operations.

“For disaster preparedness and response, the central disaster response training center, provincial disaster management units, and police stations up to the local level have been kept on standby,” he said.

Authorities are also coordinating with government agencies and other stakeholders to restore essential services as quickly as possible following disasters, he added.

Police Report Progress on Financial Accountability

During the same briefing, Kafle said Nepal Police had made significant progress in addressing audit and financial irregularities.

“We do not have any significant pending irregularities at present,” he said.

The police spokesperson presented the development as part of efforts to strengthen financial discipline and institutional accountability.

For Rohingya in Nepal, however, the latest police disclosure highlights growing scrutiny of cross-border movement as authorities tighten surveillance along the country’s open frontier with India.

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