Kathmandu, Jan. 17
Home
Minister Ramesh Lekhak has expressed his commitment to introduce a new law that
will eliminate the need for Non-Resident Nepalis (NRNs) to obtain a visa when
entering or residing in Nepal. Such provision will be made while introducing a
law that will replace the current ordinance issued by the government last week.
Speaking
with a delegation of the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) led by its
president Dr. Badri KC at the Ministry of Home Affairs on Thursday evening,
Minister Lekhak assured that the government would enact a law during the
upcoming winter session of Parliament which would ensure that the NRNs would
have the economic, social, and cultural rights guaranteed by the constitution, and
abolish the need for visas for NRNs when entering or residing in Nepal.
Dr.
KC raised concerns that some provisions in the ordinance had disappointed the
Nepali citizens living abroad, particularly the clause regarding a 10-year visa
exemption for NRN cardholders. He pointed out that this provision did not align
with the constitutional rights envisioned for NRNs, particularly under Article
14, and did not address the rights of NRNs as envisioned by the Constitution.
Article
14 proposes granting non-resident citizenship to Nepali people who have
acquired citizenship in another country.
"The
recently issued ordinance that allows NRNs to obtain a ten-year visa is
contradictory—requiring a visa for our citizens to enter their homeland has
deeply disappointed all Non-Resident Nepalis," said DR. KC.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 18 January 2025.
No comments:
Post a Comment