Guarantee of human trafficking victim’s access to justice demanded

Kathmandu, April 13: The stakeholders have suggested to clearly define ‘human trafficking’ in the bill to amend the ‘Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act-2064.

At a programme organized today by Forum for Women, Law and Development here today to discuss on the bill, they asked to make arrangement of stern action on the issue of human trafficking.

The rescue of victim and affected ones and their rehabilitation should be legally made explicit.

On the occasion, Chief of Human Trafficking and Transportation Control Section under the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen, Mina Poudel, shared that the bill has been prepared in order to end the human trafficking taking place in various pretexts.

Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizen, Nawal Kishor Sah, on March 24 registered the Bill to amend Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act, 2064, in the House of Representatives.

The government has brought the bill with an objective of protecting self-respect, freedom and fundamental rights of people affected by human trafficking, and ensuring access of those who are at high risk of trafficking and victim ones to justice.

Poudel argued that the act is going to be amended with an objective of bringing those facing the charge of human trafficking and transportation in home and abroad under the ambit of law and widening the areas of punishment.

It has been mentioned in the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act, 2064 that the act of taking people abroad with the target of selling or buying them is considered human trafficking.

However, Advocate Sabin Shrestha said as only the transportation from Nepal to foreign countries is included in definition of trafficking, it is necessary to incorporate the transportation inside the Nepal or from abroad to Nepal as well in the definition.

He also proposed to use the term ‘transporting’ from one place to another place instead of transporting to Nepal from abroad or using the country as transit.