A Russian court has ordered the deportation of 34 Nepali students for working without valid labour permits. The students, currently held at a deportation centre some 60 km from Moscow, will reportedly be sent back to Nepal soon.

The students, who had arrived in Russia on study visas, allegedly worked at a call centre for gambling company 1xBet in Moscow’s Kuzminki area without university approval or the required labour permits. According to Keshav Timilsina, president of the Non-Resident Nepali Association, Russia, 12 female students were among those detained on October 30 by Russian immigration authorities.

“They were arrested for working without valid permits,” said Timilsina. “If they had provided two key documents—a letter from their university and an employment contract—they could have appealed the deportation decision through a lawyer. However, they failed to furnish these documents.”

“Working on a student visa without appropriate permits results in immediate deportation and a five-year ban from re-entering Russia,” he said.

The students have been in Russia for varying durations, from three months to one-and-a-half years. “Many people are lured by agents who exploit them, leaving them stranded. Russia has become a transit hub for such activities,” said Timilsina.

Two years ago, a similar case saw 15 Nepali students deported within 14 days.

According to Timilsina, the law requires individuals to work only for the company that has issued their work permit. Violating this rule leads to immediate deportation. “In Russia, traffickers are sending people to work under the guise of students. Immigration authorities arrest them once they start working,” said Timilsina.