In Nepali Times, Sonia Wagle writes about a trilingual photo book “Hard Steps” on Nepali migration to Portugal. According to Sonia, the book contains 73 photographs, taken in Kathmandu and in Odemira in southern Portugal between 2020 and 2023, with the testimonies of Nepali migrants.

Sonia notes that Nelson Miranda, who took photos included in the book, was struck by the country’s old stone steps. Some are steep, some narrow, some cut so motorcycle tyres will not slip. He came to see them as a picture of the hardships migrants face, and described them as “the visual body of the work.”

After a few weeks in Nepal, I began to look differently at the steps leading to many of the houses. I was immediately drawn to their shapes, colors, and textures, which were incredibly varied and aesthetically very powerful. I started to see these steps as the visual body of the work and as images accompanying the testimonies I collected in Nepal.

-Nelson Miranda (source: Nepali Times)

Sonia highlights Nepali immigrants testimonies describing the difficulties of their move from Nepal. The cost of living in Portugal is high, and wages are lower than in other European countries. Even so, many Nepalis stay, hoping for long-term residency, which is getting harder to secure. There are reportedly more than 23,000 Nepalis in Portugal, the country’s 10th largest migrant group.