‘Nepal’s consul general must be updated about repatriation of trafficking victims’

HT, 3 Dec 2016, SILIGURI: The repatriation of trafficked victims, particularly children, to and from Nepal continues to face serious challenges owing to the lack of joint efforts at the macro level. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and stakeholders have also advocated a holistic approach to provide justice to the victims.

The experts at the follow-up meeting of the stakeholders to prevent the trafficking of women and kids and expedite cross border repatriation and rehabilitation, which was held here on Wednesday, reiterated that unless the consul general of Nepal in Kolkata is kept in the loop, the repatriation of the victims would remain a serious challenge. The meeting was also attended by Eaknarayan Aryal, the consul general of Nepal.

It is recommended that every rescue of victims should be notified to the consulate general of Nepal so that it facilitates the victims’ return to Nepal or being sent to India from the Himalayan state.

Many NGOs pointed out that as North Bengal and the bordering districts of Nepal continue to remain both a source and destination for traffickers, a separate consulate unit of Nepal could be set up in Siliguri. It could be effective in dealing with the crime.

The meeting organised by Bal Suraksha Abhiyan Trust and supported by Caritas India highlighted the need for concerted efforts by the authorities of two countries to repatriate the trafficked children.

Trafficked children could not be sent back to their homes in Nepal as either the victims did not know their addresses or the parents remained unaware of the rescue. In case the consulate general of Nepal is notified about all such cases, the parents and the addresses of the victims can be tracked and they are repatriated.