KATHMANDU, Sept 4: Incidents of human trafficking and smuggling have been on the rise. According to the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens (MoWCSC), in the fiscal year (FY) 2024/25, Nepal Police rescued 127 victims/survivors from various locations abroad and within the country.
Through rehabilitation centers located in 10 districts, 758 individuals were rescued and rehabilitated, while another 2,732 were assisted through various organizations in the same districts, bringing the total number of victims/survivors to 3,490, according to the National Report on Combating Human Trafficking and Smuggling 2024, released by the MoWCSC on Wednesday.
Similarly, information centers established by organizations at different locations, including Nepal–India border checkpoints, in coordination with Nepal Police, the Armed Police Force, and other security agencies, identified and rescued a total of 4,300 individuals at risk of human trafficking and smuggling. Among them, 2,766 (64.3%) were women, 1,436 (33.4%) were girls, 15 (0.4%) were men, and 83 (1.9%) were boys.
Human trafficking through Pashupatinagar on the rise
The MoWCSC further stated that these information centers provided counseling services to a total of 77,500 people regarding human trafficking and smuggling. Ministry spokesperson Chakra Bahadur Budha informed that last FY, 17 girls became victims of trafficking and 46 were abducted. Across the country, 6,590 children (72% girls and 28% boys) went missing, of whom 5.831% were found and reunited with their families through the efforts and coordination of Nepal Police, the Child Search Coordination Center, and the Child Helpline.
Spokesperson Budha also said that efforts are underway to finalize the draft of the National Policy and National Action Plan against human trafficking, with revisions being made through consultations with concerned agencies, civil society organizations, and victims/survivors at the federal, provincial, and local levels.
Under the Community–Police Partnership Program, the MoWCSC has facilitated the formation of nearly 24,000 partnership committees across all 753 local levels. These committees have worked to raise awareness in communities about violence against women, drug abuse, cybercrime, disasters, and issues such as rape, human trafficking, suicide, child marriage, polygamy, and the dowry system. Likewise, the ministry stated that programs such as school outreach campaigns, social crime reduction initiatives, sports activities between communities and the police, and fire risk reduction campaigns are also being carried out.
