Human Trafficking in Nepal
Posted by Huibert Fousert on
The human trafficking in Nepal is mainly outbound. Most of the men, women and children are coerced, fraud, or abducted away from their homes mostly to the Middle East, as well as India, Bangladesh, sub-saharan Africa, and more recently Khasa, a district in China.
Nepal is particularly susceptible because about one quarter of the population live below the poverty line. There is a lot of natural potential within the country, but the government, natural disasters, and lack of a water port have created difficulties for wealth creation.
It’s estimated that about 54 children are trafficked out of Nepal on a daily basis. Many of these children may go to forced labor, adult entertainment and domestic work. While abduction is high, many are also promised better circumstances or work. Nepali migrants are also susceptible to being trafficked. Those who illegally enter India or Bangladesh in search of work can be tricked by false recruitment agencies. There have also been reports of government officials accepting bribes in return for falsified documentation for the trafficked.
According to the US Secretary of State Nepal is considered a tier 2 country. This means the Nepali government is making efforts to eradicate human trafficking. There is more prosecution of human trafficking cases as well as advocating for people in vulnerable positions, such as those affected by the April 2015 earthquake.
However a prosecution weak point is with prostituted children. The Nepali government doesn’t consider it trafficking unless the children were forced, defrauded, or coerced. As well there was some inconsistency in applying anti-human trafficking laws across Nepal.
The good news is that there are so many organizations working against human trafficking in Nepal. The government is attempting to crack down, freedom businesses are hiring at-risk individuals, organizations are working on rescues and prevention.