KATHMANDU, Oct. 18 -- Reports of Nepalis being deported from the United States have been surfacing almost daily. Despite the high risks of entering the US illegally, hundreds of Nepalis have spent millions of rupees to reach the country through so-called "lower routes", only to face deportation soon after arrival. While a few have managed to build better lives there, many others have returned home devastated and penniless.

Nowadays, even those who initially travelled legally have been forced to return home after overstaying their visas and becoming undocumented.

The craze for reaching the US through irregular channels has particularly gripped western Nepal, including Dang and Rukum (East and West), providing fertile ground for human tra...