Kathmandu: The stakeholders have suggested to clearly define ‘human trafficking’ in the bill to amend the ‘Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act-2064.
According to National News Agency Nepal, at a programme organized by the Forum for Women, Law and Development, stakeholders emphasized the need for explicit legal arrangements for the rescue and rehabilitation of victims. They also called for stringent measures to combat human trafficking effectively.
During the event, Mina Poudel, Chief of the Human Trafficking and Transportation Control Section under the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen, highlighted that the bill aims to eradicate human trafficking activities conducted under various pretexts. The proposed amendments seek to protect the dignity, freedom, and fundamental rights of individuals affected by human trafficking, ensuring their access to justice.
The bill to amend the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act, 2064, was registered in the House of Representatives by the Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizen, Nawal Kishor Sah, on March 24. The government intends to extend the legal framework to include actions of trafficking and transport both domestically and internationally, thus broadening the scope of punishable offenses.
Poudel further stated that the amendment aims to bring those accused of human trafficking and transportation under legal scrutiny, whether they are operating within Nepal or abroad. The current act defines trafficking as the act of taking individuals abroad with the intent of selling or buying them, but stakeholders argue that this definition requires expansion.
Advocate Sabin Shrestha pointed out the necessity of incorporating the transportation within Nepal or from abroad to Nepal in the trafficking definition. He suggested redefining the term to include ‘transporting’ from one location to another, rather than just focusing on international transit or using the country as a passageway.