Trafficked girl from Kalimpong rescued by local NGO

Prashant Acharya, EOI, SILIGURI, 4 Sep 2017: A trafficked girl from Kalimpong safely landed in India from Iraq who was lured for money taking advantage of her weak financial condition.

The 20 year old girl was taken to Iraq for employment purpose after meeting with a local agent who promised a lucrative job in Iraq.

The agent took her to Delhi and after few days she was sent to Iraq with a Nepali Passport on tourist visa but she was not aware of that landed with Nepali Passport at Iraq.

She started working in Turkey but suddenly after a month her employer started exploiting her, she was asked to work more than her working hours and was not provided proper food.

After two years she planned to return to her home, as she was on her way back she was caught by the Customs at the Erbil (Iraq) airport as because she was told that she was travelling with a fake passport and she was sent back to her working place.

She then briefed the entire incident to her elder sister and parents who later approached Tej Kumar Thapa, Child Protection Officer of an NGO called Anugyalaya Darjeeling Diocese Social Service Society for seeking help in this case.

After receiving the information from her elder sister, Child Protection Officer wrote to the ministry of External affairs mentioning about the case to be of Human Trafficking and mentioning the urgency of the case.

Ministry of external Affairs responded immediately and registered; the case was taken and the Indian Embassy in Iraq paid a visit to the victim’s working place and took all the information about the incident.

After various formalities and correspondence on the 10th of May and on the 23rd May Anugyalaya wrote an email to Consulate General of India in Erbil Kurdistan as we did not receive any information from the concerned authority. The response was received on 24th  of May from M.P. Raj (consul) Consulate General of India , Erbil Kurdistan it stated that verbal requesting for requisite exemption from fine/penalty etc was sent to Department of Foreign Relations and a meeting was scheduled with Director General of the Kurdistan Government’s Interior Ministry for assistance to expedite her repatriation, it further stated that the DG, Interior Ministry, had forwarded the case file to the Director of the Directorate of Combating Violence against Women, Erbil and Members of Combating of Human Trafficking Committee.

Thapa said that on 3rd August we received a reply from MEA stating that “In this connection we have already requested the concerned host government departments for speedy action in the matter appropriately on 27th July 2017”.

On 25th August 2017 she was called by Consulate General of India and Interior ministry of Iraq for some paper formalities for her clearance.

On 28th August we received a fruitful result for all efforts that was put in getting victim back safely, Director General of the Kurdistan, Govt. of interior ministry granted clearance for exit to victim to go back to India, the necessary documents for her repatriation to India was issued by both the official. On 30th August Indian Embassy gave her wings to fly and on the 31st August she landed in New Delhi.