India and Nepal share unique ties of friendship which was strengthened after the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship that allows for free movement of people and goods across the border. Nepal shares a common border of nearly 1,800-km with the Indian states of Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Over the years these open borders have been used for illegal smuggling and human trafficking. India being the destination and transit country for trafficking from Nepal became a matter of serious concern. Thousands of lives are ruined every year from this heinous human trade where women and young girls are brought to India for work but they are being trapped in the hands of traffickers. In the last few years, several organizations in India and Nepal have come up to save these lives and combat Human Trafficking.

In last four years, Caritas India with it partners Purvanchal Gramin Seva Samiti (PGSS), Developmental Association for Human Advancement (DEHAT) and Diocesan Social Work Society (DSWS) Lucknow has raised their voice on the issue of Indo-Nepal Human trafficking under the Swaraksha Anti-Human Trafficking (AHT) programme. Funded by the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF), the programme has developed a convergence model with the support of Border Forces, Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs), Nepal Police and other like-minded NGOs and other Government agencies to combat Human Trafficking.

PGSS, a Caritas India Partner in Gorakhpur is actively present at Sonauli and Thoothibari borders where more than ten thousand people cross the border and come to India. The organization has set up an interception booth at the two transitional points to intercept the suspected movements of Human trafficking and do further rescue and rehabilitation of the trafficked victims. They are also engaged in the follow up of the trafficked survivor for their rehabilitation with NGO counterparts in Nepal.

Even now, when the whole world is fighting the covid-19 virus and all operations are ceased, different agencies working against human trafficking at Indo-Nepal Border were engaged in series of physical and virtual meetings was organised by Caritas India Partner PGSS to discuss the strategies to address the cross-border Human Trafficking issue at Sonauli, Thoothibari and Rupaidiha borders. Similarly in Nepal, a virtual meeting was also organised by the Rusuf and Swatantra Abhiyaan Nepal where Caritas India and Partners participated in Joint planning against cross Human Trafficking.

On the Indian front, a meeting was called at Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) 22 Company at Thoothibari and Sonauli border, where the Assistant Commandant and AHTU, Child Welfare Police Officer, SHO from the local Police station discussed the plan to strengthen the mechanism of addressing the issue through a collaborative approach. Some of the Key discussions were on strengthening the case intervention and follow up, creating mass awareness in the community, legal procedures, ensuring FIRs on the traffickers and perpetrators, child labour among both Countries, better coordination among all Stakeholders from India and Nepal, Govt. Schemes Entitlements amidst of Covid-19 for Vulnerable families and children and also to monitor the Music Parties at India border villages where Trafficking of young girls are seen. One of the key achievements of these regular meetings is seen recently when the Superintendent of Police of Maharajganj, a border District in India asked AHTU about the list of Music Parties active in the area for monitoring and tracking human trafficking instances. Most of the young girls from Nepal are lured for money and are pushed into this business where they are physically assaulted and sexually abused. In another meeting with Village Level Child Protection Committee (VLCPC) members were sensitized on the issue of Human Trafficking during Covid -19 by the DSWS at Mihinpurwa block.

“We need to work in with Indian counterparts before we move for a dialogue at the higher Government level of Nepal and India,” shared Writu Bhatt, the Executive Secretary of Swatantra Abhiyan Nepal in a virtual Indo-Nepal Network team meeting was also organized by Rusuf Nepal and Swatantra Abhiyan Nepal. She suggested a strong collaboration between India and Nepal so that both Countries dialogue at a higher level on the Human Trafficking issue. A need for Standard Operating Procedures was also placed during the meeting. Caritas India representative shared the modus operandi of the network and how SOPs can be integrated which can be validated by the legal agencies in India and Nepal. The representative also emphasized considering the child trafficking issue amidst Covid-19 and proposed to have a meeting with all the like-minded organisations working at the Indo-Nepal border in UP, Bihar and West Bengal to share the Collective suggestion on the Challenges.

The Network Partners decided to include action points from all the Stakeholders from the seven districts of Uttar Pradesh before drafting the SOP. Members decided as they observe next month as the World Day against Trafficking in Person with the theme “Victims Voices Lead the Way”, they should observe this month paying more attention to Involve the Survivors with all Stakeholders to hear their voice and to listen to them for the Actions suggested from them to combat Human Trafficking together.