Over 8,000 people trafficked annually in Nepal: NHRC

More than 8,000 people are trafficked annually in Nepal, the latest report by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has revealed.

Unveiling its national report on Monday, NHRC claimed that over 16,000 citizens, mostly women and children, were trafficked in the past two fiscals 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, Xinhua news agency reported.

However, it has been found that quite a lower number of trafficking cases were reported to Nepal Police. Only 185 cases were registered in 2013-2014 while only 181 cases were registered in 2014-2015.

"The key reason is under-reporting and under-registration of human trafficking cases, including an overlap in measures of Foreign Employment Act and the Human Trafficking and Transportation Control Act," the report said.

It said the number of interception of vulnerable persons has increased after the April 2015 earthquake, an increase by at least 15 percent before and after three months of the quake.

More than 1,200 women and children went missing in the first three months of the quake.

Despite the fact that the Nepal government has introduced various acts including the Foreign Employment Act 2007, Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act 2007, and the National Plan of Action on Controlling Human Trafficking 2011-2021, the victims do not have access to justice for the prevention and control of trafficking, according to NHRC.

The study showed that in terms of destination of trafficking, the majority of victims were being trafficked to India, but there are also cases of internal trafficking and trafficking to the Gulf states.

The trafficking route is reported to be the main official border points with India and China.

Trafficking of girls to South Korea and China for marriage is also growing in Nepal.

"Data reveals that trafficking takes place for multiple purposes, especially for sexual exploitation, labour exploitation and other purposes such as marriage and illegal organ extraction," the report says.

Records showed that most of the trafficking cases were from eastern districts Jhapa and Morang with most of the victims belonging to indigenous nationalities.

--IANS

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