Police Terror _ Immigration Strike & Corruption in Kathmandu Airport

Dear All,

We would like have some valued suggestions from you about our immigration system, especially about the issue of our International Airport. Actually, we are facing several criticisms from the foreigners as well from our citizens too. They often accuse that the overall management of TIA is very poor, buck passing, corruption and mental torture for general travelers are very common. In this regard, some of our recently transferred colleagues are committed to reform on the issues related to overall ill practices and sick management areas of TIA. Though, it is very tough job and could not be achievable until and unless the all airport related authorities and public work together collectively for betterment.

I am stressed to talk about the recently appeared some incidents:

In last two weeks, there are huge tensions among the labor desk, police and Immigration personnel over ill culture of work and crooked manner of police. Consequently, the immigration works were forced to stop (strikes) till now three times for half an hour, where entire passenger has to suffer and flights were in difficulties, newest incidents were appeared tomorrow at apx 9:45 at night too,where I was presented and observed the entire incident in departure section. The cause behind was illegal police torture to the Nepalese tourist and labor. They were got clearance from immigration accordance with the law and its system, however refused by a boozy police team talking that the paper is not enough for traveling abroad; even they had valid immigration clearance, ticket, passport, visa and necessary foreign currency.

Actually, police are doing all the things except policing. In plane word, police is poorly maintaining security and controlling criminal activities in Airport zone. As a proof, you might have heard recently, that the money, laptop, cash etc were looted from the car inside the airport by criminal, bomb were blasted near by airport. The general airport staffs have to suffer with the regular tension of helmet and fuel robbery from the parked vehicle, specially from the security restricted zone, though police are deaf and dump about the matter.

The Airport is suffering with the terror of police. They act beyond their responsibility and use to check visa and passport and often doing torture and saverly exploit to the labors, who can not react for their rights. The serious matter is the job related to visa passport /documents control is assigned to Immigration authorities by immigration laws, even though the police interfering in immigration system and doing malpractices.

Now every one can see it, police check illegally and ill mannerly visa and passport in the golden gate, entry gate of inner gate, in the ladder before entering in immigration zone, and also after the immigration clearance, it could happened even in boarding time too, if you could not able to please the police. Normally, they are not supposed to do except the case of criminal affairs and some rare circumstances. The uniformed and uninformed polices very often terrorize to rural people. The labor as well as manpower has to pay lots of money for them, otherwise police will block even the legal people to get inside in the flights.

Actually, labor and many innocent people do not know much about the core immigration system and its personnel, so they think all the difficulties are created by Immigration authorities and they complain everywhere about the matter, which is partially right only. To be honest, I do not refuse some ill culture exist in our system; however, the reform is in progress.

We have informed to our higher authorities as well Akhtiyar and specially to the ministers who use to come for observation, so hoping they are working to resolve the issue soon.

In this regards, we will be thankful, if you could contribute your suggestions that will be collectively send to our concerned authorities for reform of overall Airport System. Thank you.