From the Nepali Press
Annapurna Post, 25 November
As western countries discuss tightening restrictions on entry of Syrian refugees in the aftermath of the deadly Paris attacks, Nepal is also preparing to close the door to people fleeing the war-torn Arab country.
Nepal is far from activity of the ISIS, the Syria-Iraq based Islamic state that has claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks in which 130 people were killed. But authorities here believe that ISIS-affiliated terrorists could use Nepal as a transit to enter the US and other European countries as refugees.
A meeting between Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA)'s Law and Division Chief Laxmi Prasad Dhakal, Department of Immigration (DoI)'s Director General Kedar Neupane and senior security officials on Tuesday recommended restrictions on entry of Syrian refugees into Nepal.
The meeting decided to ask Home Minister Shakti Basnet to revoke provisions of on-arrival visa for Syrian people.
Nepal grants on-arrival visa for people from all but 11 war-torn and politically instable countries. Only peoples from Nigeria, Swaziland, Liberia, Palestine, Ghana, Cameron, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Ethiopia and Iraq have to apply for visa before they fly to Kathmandu.
As war escalated in Syria and hundreds of thousands of Syrian people started to migrating to the West, Nepal had last year decided to 'closely monitor' entry of Syrian people in Kathmandu. In the last two years, Nepal has detained 24 Syrian citizens who entered into Kathmandu on fake passports.