Nepal’s Crackdown on Illegal Matchmaking Exposes Cross-Border ‘Bride Buying’ Networks

Nepal Launches Investigation into Illegal Matchmaking Operations

Nepal has intensified its scrutiny of illegal cross-border matchmaking after authorities uncovered cases where brokers and online intermediaries were marketing Nepali women as prospective brides for Chinese nationals. This has prompted increased enforcement measures and official warnings from both Nepali and Chinese authorities. The Chinese Embassy in Nepal recently issued a New Year’s travel advisory cautioning its citizens against what it described as “bride buying” in the country, urging them not to trust matchmaking agencies and brokers blindly.

The notice from the Chinese Embassy stressed that deceptive or profit-driven cross-border matchmaking is illegal under Chinese law. “Fully understand the legal, cultural, property division and child custody risks involved in cross-border marriages,” the advisory stated. “Do not easily believe cross-border matchmaking… stay away from illegal marriage brokers.” The warning, posted on Friday, follows a series of recent cases in Nepal that have drawn attention to suspected illegal matchmaking activity involving Chinese nationals, as well as a broader shift by online brokers toward South Asia.

What Sparked the Crackdown

The intensified crackdown on “bride buying” was prompted after Nepal’s immigration officials found in November numerous young Nepali women residing in rented accommodations with Chinese nationals in Kathmandu, the national capital. Chinese men acknowledged that they recorded the women and sent the videos to acquaintances back home, besides sharing them on social media. However, they did not clearly specify the intent behind the recordings.

While authorities deported four Chinese nationals on grounds of violating visas, they stated there was not enough evidence to file criminal charges over allegations that the women were being forced into marriages in China. The situation has highlighted the challenges Nepali authorities face in proving trafficking cases, especially when the women involved may not come forward due to fear or coercion.

Modus Operandi of Illegal Matchmakers

Investigations have revealed that illegal matchmaking agencies were operating through sophisticated networks, charging substantial fees for their services. Some matchmaking agencies were charging between 5,000 yuan (USD 713) and 188,000 yuan (USD 26,830), marketing the process as “simple and easy.” These agencies often promoted marriage as a pathway out of poverty while obscuring legal, financial, and personal risks for the women involved.

Brokers typically targeted vulnerable young women from impoverished backgrounds, promising them better lives abroad. Many of these operations moved from traditional methods to online platforms, using social media to connect Chinese men with potential brides from Nepal and other South Asian countries. This digital transition has made it increasingly difficult for authorities to track and dismantle these networks.

China’s Gender Imbalance Fuels Demand

China’s demand for overseas brides is often linked by researchers to its skewed sex ratio, which official figures put at about 104 men for every 100 women. The imbalance, shaped over decades by birth control policies and a cultural preference for sons, has left millions of men struggling to find partners. Some turn to paid matchmaking services that claim to help facilitate marriages abroad.

According to China’s seventh national population census in 2020, the country faces approximately 34.9 million more men than women. This demographic challenge, a direct result of the now-abandoned one-child policy and traditional preferences for male offspring, has created what sociologists call “shengnan shidai” or “the age of leftover men.” The gender imbalance is particularly acute in rural areas of China, where most educated women have migrated to cities for better opportunities.

This demographic crisis has led to a significant decrease in marriage registrations, which fell to a record low of 6.1 million in 2024, the lowest since 1980. The shortage of potential brides has driven some desperate men to seek partners from neighboring countries, creating a market that illegal brokers are eager to exploit.

Warnings Beyond Nepal’s Borders

Nepal is not the only country facing this issue. The Chinese Embassy in Bangladesh issued a similar public notice in May 2025, urging Chinese citizens to comply with laws governing cross-border marriages and to be cautious about dating content on social media platforms as well as illegal matchmaking agencies. The notice also cautioned against the idea of “buying a foreign wife” and advised Chinese nationals to carefully consider marriage in Bangladesh, warning them to avoid “losing both money and person.”

The embassy further reminded that Chinese nationals involved in unlawful cross-border marriages could face arrest and prosecution for human trafficking. According to China’s Supreme Prosecutor’s Office, between January 2024 and March 2025, law enforcement authorities arrested 1,546 people for criminal activities, including human trafficking and fraudulent matchmaking schemes.

A Regional Pattern of Trafficking

Women and girls from Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other South and Southeast Asian countries have previously been trafficked and sold as wives in China. In 2024, reports emerged of Bangladeshi women, particularly indigenous women from the Chittagong Hill Tracts, being trafficked and sold to China under false promises of marriage, partly because their Sino-Tibetan features resemble Chinese ethnic groups.

Pakistan has also witnessed a concerning rise in similar cases following increased Chinese investment through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). In May 2019, at least 20 Pakistani girls who had been lured into sham marriages were repatriated, with many reporting being forced into prostitution and threatened with organ harvesting for resisting exploitation. According to various reports that emerged after the May 2019 crackdown, nearly 600 Pakistani girls had been sold as brides to Chinese men, with Christian women from poor and marginalized communities being especially targeted.

The Human Cost of Illegal Matchmaking

The consequences of these illegal matchmaking operations extend far beyond legal violations. Women who are trafficked through these networks often face severe exploitation and abuse. Human Rights Watch reports indicate that tens of millions more men than women in China will likely remain unmarried between 2020 and 2050, creating conditions that facilitate the exploitation of vulnerable women from neighboring countries.

Testimonies from survivors paint a harrowing picture. Women deceived with job offers are subsequently sold across the border, enduring confinement, sexual violence, and forced reproduction. Many have their documents seized upon arrival in China, their movements restricted, and are “sold” for thousands of dollars to men in remote villages. These women are often treated as mere vessels for childbirth, subjected to repeated abuse with little hope of escape.

“In recent years, several Chinese citizens who came to Nepal to find wives through illegal matchmaking agencies have been arrested on suspicion of human trafficking, child marriage, rape and other crimes,” the Chinese embassy said in its statement.

Challenges in Prosecution and Prevention

Despite the clear legal prohibitions, enforcement remains challenging. China has banned individuals or organizations from acting as foreign marriage brokers, yet many continue to operate matchmaking services on social media platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu. The digital nature of these operations, combined with cross-border jurisdictional issues, creates significant hurdles for law enforcement agencies.

Additionally, the women involved often face significant barriers to seeking help. Language barriers, cultural differences, fear of authorities in both countries, and the stigma associated with these situations prevent many victims from coming forward. Even when they do, proving trafficking cases requires substantial evidence that is often difficult to obtain.

Government Responses and International Cooperation

In response to growing concerns, both Nepali and Chinese authorities have taken steps to address the issue. Nepal police have arrested and are prosecuting several individuals, including a police official, for their alleged involvement in illegal matchmaking and bride-buying schemes. The crackdown aims to dismantle networks that exploit vulnerable women and engage in illicit cross-border marriages.

Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) launched a crackdown on fake marriage and human trafficking networks, arresting 11 Chinese nationals and two Pakistani accomplices in Lahore in May 2019. The Chinese government also dispatched a task force to cooperate in the investigation. In March 2025, the FIA arrested three suspects at Islamabad Airport who were allegedly part of a trafficking ring sending Pakistani women to China under the pretense of marriage.

The Role of Activists and Civil Society

While governments struggle to address the issue, activists and civil society organizations are working to rescue victims and raise awareness. Women’s rights groups in affected countries are educating communities about the risks of illegal matchmaking schemes and providing support to survivors. These grassroots efforts are crucial in prevention, as they often reach vulnerable populations before they become targets of traffickers.

Nepali activists are also working to rescue young women who have been lured to China through illegal matchmaking and forced into marriage. Their work highlights the importance of cross-border collaboration between civil society organizations, as rescuing victims often requires coordination across multiple jurisdictions and countries.

The Path Forward: Addressing Root Causes

Experts suggest that addressing the issue requires tackling its root causes, including China’s demographic imbalance and the economic disparities that make women from neighboring countries vulnerable to trafficking. While China’s government has taken some steps to address the gender gap, including relaxing the one-child policy and promoting gender equality, these measures will take decades to reverse the demographic trend.

Economic development in countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan would also reduce the economic desperation that makes women targets for traffickers. When families have viable economic options at home, they are less likely to fall for false promises of better lives abroad.

Strengthening Legal Frameworks and Enforcement

Strengthening international cooperation is essential for effectively combating these cross-border crimes. Harmonizing laws across countries, sharing intelligence between law enforcement agencies, and establishing joint task forces can improve the effectiveness of anti-trafficking efforts. Additionally, holding perpetrators accountable in both source and destination countries sends a strong message that these crimes will not be tolerated.

Greater regulation of online platforms where these illegal matchmaking operations advertise is also crucial. Social media companies must take responsibility for monitoring and removing content related to human trafficking and illegal matchmaking schemes, working closely with law enforcement to identify perpetrators.

The Bottom Line

The crackdown in Nepal represents a significant step in combating illegal cross-border matchmaking and human trafficking. However, it also highlights the complex factors driving this trade, including China’s demographic imbalance, economic disparities in South Asia, and the challenges of policing illegal activities that span multiple jurisdictions.

As both Nepali and Chinese authorities continue their investigations, the focus remains on protecting vulnerable women from exploitation while dismantling the networks that profit from their misery. The international community will need to work together to address this human rights issue comprehensively.

• Nepal has intensified its crackdown on illegal cross-border matchmaking following discoveries of brokers marketing Nepali women to Chinese nationals.
• The Chinese Embassy in Nepal issued a travel advisory warning citizens against “bride buying” and illegal matchmaking.
• Matchmaking agencies charged between 5,000 yuan (USD 713) and 188,000 yuan (USD 26,830) for their services.
• China’s gender imbalance, with approximately 104 men for every 100 women, is driving demand for foreign brides.
• Similar trafficking patterns have been documented in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam.
• Chinese authorities arrested 1,546 people for human trafficking and fraudulent matchmaking schemes between January 2024 and March 2025.
• Four Chinese nationals were deported from Nepal for visa violations related to suspected matchmaking activities.
• Victims often face confinement, sexual abuse, and forced childbirth after being trafficked to China.
• Enforcement challenges include cross-border jurisdictional issues and victims’ reluctance to come forward.
• Experts recommend addressing root causes including economic disparities and strengthening international cooperation.