Two of the 193 Nepalis deported from the United States since Donald Trump began his second term as president have lodged complaints with the police, accusing traffickers of defrauding them.

Senior Superintendent of Police Krishna Prasad Pangeni, chief of the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau in Babarmahal, said the complaints were filed by two individuals who were deported from the US, along with another who returned midway, despite making payments to agents.

The complainants are from Bardiya, Salyan and Rukum districts. According to officials, this is the first instance of any recently deported individuals from the US formally registering human trafficking-related complaints in Nepal.

“Previously, deportees admitted they had paid large sums to reach the United States, but they were reluctant to disclose details about the smuggling networks,” said Pangeni. “Many were still hoping to recover their money, which likely discouraged them from pursuing legal action.”

He said that complaints are now being registered against individuals who received the payments, particularly account holders used by the alleged traffickers.

Since mid-June/July, the bureau has recorded nine human trafficking cases involving returnees from multiple countries. These include one case involving an individual who returned from Poland, three each from Canada and Spain, and a joint complaint filed by three individuals who had returned from Greece.

Trump, who began his second term on January 20, 2025, has introduced stricter immigration policies, resulting in the deportation of undocumented immigrants from several countries, including Nepal. Of the 193 Nepalis deported so far during his current term, 20 are women.

According to police data, a total of 420 Nepalis have been deported from the United States over the past seven years.