Amnesty International is deeply alarmed by media reports that Prime Minister Balendra Shah has directed security forces to evict informal settlements in Kathmandu, threatening to leave hundreds of already marginalized individuals and families homeless.
“These evictions – reportedly set to be carried out within just two days – demonstrate a blatant disregard for Nepal’s domestic and international human rights obligations and the rule of law,” said Nirajan Thapaliya, Director of Amnesty International Nepal.
These evictions – reportedly set to be carried out within just two days – demonstrate a blatant disregard for Nepal’s domestic and international human rights obligations and the rule of law
Nirajan Thapaliya, Director, Amnesty International Nepal
“Such actions also contradict the government’s public commitment to address the longstanding issue of landless squatters through a planned, humane, and time‑bound process.”
According to media reports, the evictions are set to take place in three riverbank settlements at Thapathali, Manohara, and Sinamangal, where Kathmandu Metropolitan City authorities have issued a 24-hour deadline to vacate. Metropolitan police have announced demolitions are scheduled from 6 am on April 25, with warnings of legal action against any obstruction.
“Protection from forced evictions is an integral component of the right to adequate housing. Evictions carried out in the absence of due process requirements constitute forced evictions, which are a gross violation of human rights. Evicting people without safeguards also strips them of dignity, security, and protection under the rule of law,” said Thapaliya.
“Carrying out forced evictions reflects a dangerous erosion of lawful governance and signals an increasingly authoritarian approach. The Balen government’s policy roadmap promised that the problem of landless communities will be resolved within a defined period. Evicting families without prior verification, meaningful consultation, or guaranteed alternative housing undermines that commitment and risks turning a governance challenge into a preventable human rights crisis.
The government must immediately halt these eviction plans and put in place measures to ensure that all evictions comply with international human rights safeguards against forced evictions
Nirajan Thapaliya, Director, Amnesty International Nepal
“The government must immediately halt these eviction plans and put in place measures to ensure that all evictions comply with international human rights safeguards against forced evictions. These include putting in place a process of genuine consultation with affected people to explore all feasible alternatives to evictions and providing affected people with adequate notice of evictions. State actions must be lawful, proportionate, and in full compliance with human rights obligations, including guaranteeing that no one is rendered homeless as a result of eviction.”
Background
International human rights law prohibits the eviction of people against their will from the homes or land they occupy, without due process or other legal safeguards. These safeguards include genuine consultation with affected communities to identify all feasible alternatives to eviction, prior and adequate notice, provision of legal remedies, compensation for losses, and adequate alternative housing to those who cannot provide for themselves. Despite constitutional protection and existing laws guaranteeing the right to housing, Amnesty International has documented the experience of many families who have been forcibly evicted and trapped in cycles of homelessness and insecurity in the recent past across the country, such as in districts like Kailali and Chitwan, in addition to Kathmandu.