Demand for Consulate Office in San Francisco, USA

A consulate office has been requested in San Francisco, California to serve the growing number of Nepalis.

America has only an embassy in Washington DC and a consulate general office in New York. To reach Washington DC from California, a distance of 4,475 km must be covered. Traveling by air takes 6 hours . As the population density of Nepalis is increasing and it is very unsuitable for services, the associations and organizations here have gathered together on Sunday and demanded an office. With the increase in the number of Nepalis, the need for office has also been felt.

Even though a consulate office has been requested here since 32 years ago, the Nepal government has not listened, so now they are going to run a campaign. More than 50 associations have collectively demanded an office under the initiative of NRNA California and the 30-year-old Nepali Association of Northern California (NANCE).

According to the data of the US Census Bureau, the number of Nepalis has increased by 295 percent in the last ten years. In 2010, the number of Nepalis was 51 thousand 907 and in 2020 it has reached 25 thousand 907. In California alone, this population growth rate is 216 percent.

The number of Nepalis is much higher than the official data that has reached the American government. The number has increased in four years since the last census. Presenting a working paper at the gathering of social leaders, Amod Pokharel, a lecturer at the University of California, said that when the population has increased to millions, the government should expand its services to its citizens.

'Government should expand and decentralize services,' Pokharel said, 'California is a state in America, but it is the world's fifth largest economy and the headquarters of hundreds of large companies, so the consulate office helps in the expansion of Nepal's business and tourism.'

Nepalese in California 7 of the 10 most populous counties are in Northern California around San Francisco. With 69 percent of the population in the region, San Francisco seems to be the most suitable location for the consulate.

"Consulate office should be located where there are many customers," said Pokharel. Of the state's 58 counties, 45 are in San Francisco, while only 13 are in the southern Los Angeles area. In Contra Costa County near San Francisco, the population of Nepalis has increased by 545 percent in 10 years, according to Census Bureau data.

Noting that America's largest asylum court is in San Francisco, immigrant lawyer Laxman Adhikari said that the number of Nepalis here is thousands more than the official statistics. "Only those who have documents are included in the government statistics," he said, "those without documents also need the service of Nepali documents." The government should be serious about those who take such services.'

The consular office provides passport renewal, manjurinama, NRNA identity card and other consular services to those who are in trouble. Due to the recent policy of the US, many Nepalis are not able to get a passport. Those who come across the border do not have a Nepali passport. They are called by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within three months.

If they don't go within that period, their deportation process starts . Without a passport, they need it immediately. But they cannot travel by air without a passport. "Consulate office is indispensable for such Nepalis who cannot go to DC, New York and get a passport," said Yagya Nepal, another immigration lawyer and general secretary of NANCE.