Kathmandu: Minister for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens, Nawal Kishor Sah, has said that the government is formulating stricter laws to combat human trafficking and smuggling.
During an interaction program titled “Social, Cultural, and Legal Measures Against the Changing Patterns of Girl Trafficking and Smuggling in Nepal,” organized by the National Child Rights Council, Society for Integrated Allied Nepal, and Adara Nepal in Kathmandu on Friday, Minister Sah said that Nepal needs stringent laws to address the evolving forms of human trafficking.
Minister Sah highlighted the inadequacies of the existing 1977 law in addressing contemporary issues. “The law from 1977 cannot deliver justice in today’s society,” he said. “The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Law have approved changes to toughen the law.”
However, Minister Sah acknowledged that delays in verdicts, which can take eight to ten years, remain a significant challenge for victims. The government is working to address these issues by formulating stricter legislation, he added.
Minister Sah also pointed out that women aged 15 to 55 are particularly vulnerable to trafficking, with poverty, drug abuse, and social circumstances being the primary contributing factors. Despite some improvements since the 2015 Constitution of Nepal, Minister Sah said that challenges persist.
“Nepal still has around 20 percent of the population below the poverty line. The 2015 Constitution brought about some reforms, but Nepal needs further improvements.”
Sajani Joshi from Maiti Nepal said that trafficking has become one of the most profitable criminal activities globally. She also noted that trafficking from Nepal, which was previously limited to India, has now expanded to countries like China and the Gulf region.
According to Joshi, the number of minors being trafficked from Nepal has been rising. In 2021, 10 minors were trafficked; 12 in 2022; and 19 in 2023.
Superintendent of Police Gautam Mishra, spokesperson for the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau, highlighted several challenges in combating trafficking. “The lack of police representatives in diplomatic missions has impeded effective investigations into trafficking abroad,” he said.
This year alone, 73 cases related to promises of high earnings in the entertainment industry in India were recorded by Nepal Police. According to Mishra, police rescued 149 women and 20 minors from India this year. Similarly, four cases of trafficking to China under the guise of marriage were recorded, with police rescuing four women. Additionally, 226 women were rescued from Gulf countries.
Mishra also noted a rise in trafficking in Southeast Asia, particularly involving individuals with computer and English language skills. “Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp have been used to facilitate these crimes,” he said.
Prahlad Dhakal, Director of Remote Community Development at Adara Nepal, highlighted the evolving nature of trafficking from Nepal. “Currently, girls are trafficked with promises of substantial money, luxury items, and foreign trips. Trafficking is not solely driven by financial hardship,” he said, adding that despite efforts to protect girls through education, some are still lured into trafficking by the allure of materialistic promises.
As trafficking patterns continue to evolve, stakeholders called for strengthened legal frameworks to more effectively combat these crimes.
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