Nepali students defrauded in various cities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by “fake” colleges and universities have been knocking the doors of different government agencies, demanding action against several education consultancies that sent them there.

Hundreds of Nepali students were lured by the education consultancies in Nepal, assuring them of international degrees and also part time jobs. However, only after reaching their respective colleges did they realise they had been cheated.

The institutions that were claimed to be universities and colleges turned out to be training centres operating in the UAE with the affiliations from similar institutions in France.

Dozens of Nepali students who have returned home have lodged complaints at the Nepal’s embassy in Abu Dhabi, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

They went to Kathmandu District Police Range on Tuesday. “We went with individual complaints today [Tuesday] but the police officials suggested a joint complaint,” said Bishwajeet Kumar Yadav, a returnee from Ajman-based British University College International. “We are collecting names of victims and the consultancies and academic institutions which cheated them. We will lodge the complaint on Wednesday.”

Yadav said these fake institutions are often set up in free zones like Ajman, Sharjah, or Dubai. Free zones make it easy to start a business with a simple trade license, but they do not check if the institution is a real university. This allows them to operate without proper oversight from the UAE’s education authorities, he said.

Students say the training institutions branded themselves as universities showcasing huge infrastructures and well equipped classes in the websites and advertisements. However, the infrastructure and facilities showcased on their websites do not exist.

Many of these so-called universities or colleges operate from just three or four small rooms, and students are instructed to attend classes online.

“The college administration insisted we take online classes for weeks after landing there,” said Neelam Chaudhary, 25, who returned from Creative Star Education Institute (CREI), in Dubai.

“Students from nursing and health care management were kept in the same online classes and that made me suspicious. When we pressured them, they allowed us into the institute. I was shocked to see the entire institution operating out of three rooms.”

Students seeking justice say that other than BUCI and CREI, ASTI Academy, Vibe Education, Central Academy for Management Studies Nest Academy of Management Education, Lincoln University of Business and Management, Monarch Academy, Royal Roads University and Harbour Education Capital University College are institutions that are duping hundreds of Nepali students.

Most of the Nepali students paid between Rs750,000 to Rs1.5 million in fees and charges to the education consultancies. The Kathmandu-based Satakshee Education Foundation (SEF), Oxbridge International Consultancy, Harbour Education Consultancy and Kantipur Abroad Consultant are among the Nepali agents that are sending students to these institutions.

“It is not just that our dreams have been shattered but our money and time have also been looted,” said Sandesh Upreti, who returned from BUCI in less than a month. Umesh Dhungel, chief of SEF, said that he sent the students after checking that the BUCI’s degrees were validated by Nepal.

“It is the Ministry of Education that provided No Objection Certificate and the Tribhuvan University provides equivalency to the BUCI’s degree,” he said. “The students left Nepal after knowing everything but are making unnecessary fuss now.”

Dhungel further claimed some of the students are happily studying there.

Shiva Sapkota, spokesperson for the education ministry, said he was unaware if any investigation was being conducted against such institutions. However, Minister for Education Mahabir Pun has warned against moving to the UAE for study.

“There have been complaints that some consultancies in Nepal have registered institutes in the UAE’s free zones and are sending students from Nepal to various fake colleges on a daily basis,” Pun wrote on social media.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported that such students are suffering in the UAE. A thorough investigation into the matter is underway. Please be careful and do not fall into such traps.”