The role of organizations working on Anti-Human Trafficking become more important in the context of Covid-19. The movement of victims from source to destination plays significant importance especially when it is between two countries.

India and Nepal share a common border of 1,770 km with twenty official crossing points but there are several unofficial crossing points which are used by traffickers for the movement. The issue of Human Trafficking at the Indo-Nepal border is a rising concern for Caritas India in the Pandemic. Last three years, the fight against human trafficking continues under the Swaraksha programme with its partners in three Districts of Uttar Pradesh sharing the Nepal border & one Province of Nepal.

Through the Joint efforts of all Stakeholders more than four hundred suspected cases of Human Trafficking were intercepted and repatriated to Nepal after counselling. Among these cases around thirty FIR was registered against Human Trafficking. Though the numbers are not too big but initiating FIR in these cases is an achievement for all the agencies of both the countries working against Human Trafficking. Under Swaraksha AHT Program Caritas India has taken the lead two years back to constitute the Network on Indo-Nepal stakeholders who will Primarily address the issue of Human Trafficking at Cross border & will sensitize all Stakeholders for the collaborative actions.

During the outbreak of Covid-19, two Virtual meetings were called by Caritas India with the Indo-Nepal Network Partners to understand the Impact of Pandemic on Human Trafficking cases & trends. During these Virtual meetings the Child Protection agency in Nepal assured their support for the Inter-ministerial Dialogue with Nepal Govt. and working on the Concrete action plan with details of Gaps & Challenges at the cross border that can be shared during a bilateral dialogue with the Govt. After the gradual unlock, the movement in India is now normal and the people have started travelling in the country, but the Indo-Nepal Border is still not open completely for the citizens of both the countries. Only emergency movements are permitted to India on showing proper documents.

Despite lock & Guarded borders, the cases of Human Trafficking are seen which can raise once the transit points will be open for public. Keeping in mind the situation of unlocking border transit points, a physical meeting of the Indo-Nepal Network was called on November 2, 2020, to discuss the strategy and Joint action plan to track Human Trafficking cases and take preventive steps to control this menace on vulnerable peoples at the source country. The agenda was to develop an appropriate action plan with key challenges of trafficked cases. Besides this, Standard Operating Procedure must be revised in consensus with the stakeholders and the draft has to be presented before Government.

“The National Child Right Council has been made by the Govt. in Nepal which is focusing on Human Trafficking cases and is willing to dialogue with Indian Govt. for the Children of Nepal who are trafficked to India,” informed Mushtak Ali from RUSUF Nepal. National Child rights Council is very serious on the issue of child trafficking and it had ordered to all the Provinces in Nepal to monitor the Human Trafficking cases very diligently. He quoted that “whenever the child is rescued in India and repatriated to Nepal the follow-up part is not done by the agencies and it results in Re-Trafficking of the child.” He also suggested for the proper mechanism system in both the countries for follow-up of the rescued person.

Dr. Jitendra Chaturvedi from DEHAT, a Swaraksha AHT Program Partner urged the Network partners from Nepal to take initiative in addressing the root causes of Human Trafficking. He said that there should be a continuous awareness campaign in Nepal in the communities from where the people are forced or lured for work  in India & are being handed over into the hands of Traffickers. Awareness will play an important role, where a family if knows the impact of Human Trafficking they will never fall into the trap of Traffickers. He said creating Awareness is very important in this issue rather than doing advocacy at this level. A joint dialogue is very much required to fill the gaps and overcome the challenges to address the issue.

Caritas India representative from Lucknow said as Nepal is the Source Country in the field of Human Trafficking it is very essential for the Network to draft the SOP on the Internal Trafficking & cross border Trafficking including the Action Plan which need to be shared with the Govt. to address the Indo-Nepal cases. He prompted the Network members to actively involve themselves in the Network which is a lead of Caritas India to combat Cross border Human Trafficking. Finally, the Network was suggested for the swift actions in which they will work on the gaps & challenges they come across during the Rescue & Repatriation of any case intercepted at the border or in India. For creating awareness & sensitization in the vulnerable areas where people are on the Peril of Human Trafficking Nepal. Govt. should be involved for mass awareness Program so that the threats of human trafficking can be disseminated at larger groups.

In the Open House Discussion, all Network partners suggested  that there should be a continuous meeting of this Network and it should work freely without coming under any registration process. A suggestion which came in the open discussion from the member to give the Responsibility to any member as a Convenor & Co-Convenor so that the Network should be at work always with regular meetings & actions which was accepted by all members. This representative will be from both the countries for smooth functioning & strengthening of the Network. Caritas India & its Partner DEHAT from India & Shakti Samuha Nepal, Maiti, KIN, Asha, Tiny Hands Nepal, Three Angels, Saathi Nepal, Peace Rehabilitation Centre Nepal & Rusuf Nepal were the Organizations represented in the Indo-Nepal Network meeting. The meeting concluded with the proposal on virtual meeting for discussing the action plan in the coming days.