Urban Refugees in Nepal

Kathmandu is home to urban refugees from countries such as Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Iraq, Iran, Syria and other countries. The Government of Nepal has not signed fundamental conventions on refugees, and the urban refugees are living as illegal refugees in Nepal. The Nepalese authorities penalises refugee families and individuals with heavy fines, which mean that they are not able to leave the country even though resettlement to a third country might have been secured.