Following the 2015 Nepal earthquake, there has been threefold increase in human trafficking from Nepal to India.
Most of the victims were reported to be minors and large number of women left the country to find employment abroad.
The destination countries for most of them were Kyrgyzstan, Israel, West Asia, and India.
What are the concerns in identifying human trafficking?
Identifying cases of human trafficking is not easy as no case of human trafficking has been registered since 2015.
It is often difficult for the police to identify a human trafficking case at the source since the victim may have been lured through the false promise of marriage or a job.
The Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship, 1950 provides for an open border between Nepal and India and there is a seamless human movement.
Individuals are stopped only on the basis of suspicion, intelligence or information from family members or relatives.
What measures needs to be taken?
Closing the border may prevent cross-border trafficking, but it could also engender economic vulnerabilities for those who have jobs or own businesses along the border.
It is imperative to create economic opportunities, particularly for the youth, within the country.
Nepal-India border needs to be equipped with enhanced intelligence networks and effective monitoring mechanisms.
