Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has initiated a formal process to collect information from Nepali students who report having been misled or defrauded by educational institutions operating in the United Arab Emirates’ free zones. The move comes after increasing complaints from students who were promised recognised university degrees, quality infrastructure, and employment opportunities, but instead encountered institutions that failed to meet basic academic and operational standards.

According to the Department of Consular Services, many students had paid substantial fees in Nepal, believing they were enrolling in legitimate foreign-affiliated universities. However, a number of these institutions reportedly function with minimal oversight, operate out of rented apartments, shift abruptly to online classes, or lack any physical campus or proper accreditation. Several institutions have also been accused of falsely claiming international affiliations and providing misleading information through Nepal-based educational consultancies.

In response, the Ministry has launched an online portal and form where affected students—whether currently in the UAE or back in Nepal can submit their details, including the consultancy they used, the institution they joined, and the money spent. This data will help authorities determine the scale of the problem and identify the institutions and agencies involved. Students have been asked to complete the form within 15 days.

Victims, many of whom have organised under the informal group “Scan the Scammers,” have welcomed the government’s action. They note that while their network alone includes over 200 affected students, the actual number is believed to be significantly higher. Complaints include disrupted classes, lack of promised facilities, and the absence of part-time jobs that students were told would help cover living and academic expenses.

The Nepali Embassy in Abu Dhabi has also acknowledged receiving reports that certain consultancies in Nepal were sending students to UAE-based institutions that are not recognised by the UAE’s Commission for Academic Accreditation. In response to these concerns, Nepal’s Ministry of Education has tightened its No Objection Certificate (NOC) process and now grants NOCs only to institutions accredited by the UAE authorities.

Many of the institutions under scrutiny are located in free zones such as Ajman, Sharjah, and Dubai, where business licensing requirements are relatively simple and educational oversight is limited. Students report that institutions often present misleading images of large campuses and modern facilities in their advertisements, despite operating from only a few small rooms.

The government’s data-collection initiative marks the first formal step toward understanding the full extent of the issue and taking further action based on verified information.

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