Scenario of Human Trafficking onNepal & Bhutan Borders

Sashastra Seema Bal(SSB)

Introduction

SSB is guarding Indo-Nepal & Indo-Bhutan Borders.

Nepal is source and India is destination/ transit hub.

Bhutan is both source and destination country. However, the number of trafficking cases are not as high as compared to Nepal.

Trafficking is an organized crime which violates all principles of human dignity and rights.

Human Trafficking is getting more and more organized everyday.

Contd/-…

The cases of human trafficking have significantly increased after the devastating earthquake in Nepal.

Formations Bn on Border

Ranikhet Ftr 06

Lucknow Ftr 08

Patna Ftr 10

Siliguri Ftr 09

Guwahati Ftr 07

Tezpur Ftr 05

Total 45

Deployment of SSB on INB & IBB SSB is guarding 1751 kms Indo-Nepal and 699 kms Indo-

Bhutan border covering 30 districts of UK, UP, Bihar, WB, Assam & Arunachal Pradesh.

No restriction on trans-border movement of the nationals of either side.

Contd/-…

INDO-NEPAL BORDER

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Important Routes of Human Trafficking

Indo-Nepal Border Mahendranagar-Banbasa Dhangarhi-Palia Nepalganj-Rupediah Krishnanagar-Barhni, Bhairhawa-Sonauli, Maheshpur- Thoothibari, Birganj-Raxaul Biratnagar-Jogbani Kakervita-Panitanki.

Indo-Bhutan Border Phuentsholing (Bhutan) and Jaigaon (India) mainly serve as transit

routes for trafficked victims on IBB.

Contd/-…

Human Trafficking routes

UTTAR PRADESH

B I H A R

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UTTRAKH

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PATNA

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Beharwa

Sanauli

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9

B H U T A N

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West Bengal

Arunachal

Pradesh

Phuentsholing

Jaigaon

Human Trafficking routes

Modus-operandi

Traffickers operating on Indo-Nepal border target poor and innocent by alluring them of better job opportunities and marriage assurances.

The traffickers operate under the garb of marriage bureaus, placement agencies.

Old and incapacitated sex workers act as agents for Human Traffickers when they return home.

Victims are normally picked from poverty stricken villages.

Victims are mostly from communities of Tharus, Magars, Gurungs, Tamangs, Rais, Dorjis etc.

Contd/-…

Mostly trafficked women are between the age group of 16 years to 30 years and children from 10 years to 16 years.

From their villages, victims are first taken to Kathmandu and thereafter to border towns in Nepal like Birganj, Kakarbhitta, Bhairawaha, Mahendernagar, Krishnanagar, Nepalganj, Pashupatinagar and Biratnagar. Then they travel by bus or by train to various destinations in India like Bombay, Calcutta, Delhi or even to smaller cities.

Girls from the Terai and eastern Nepal are usually taken directly to the border towns.

Contd/-…

Traffickers/victims have pseudo names with false identity.

It is mostly the victims who come in catch-net. The traffickers maintain distance and melt out.

They normally cross the border in ones and twos on foot and then take a taxi/bus on other side of border.

The victims are never given the correct route and destination.

Frequent changes in modus-operandi by the traffickers.

Process of Identification and Apprehension by SSB

Suspicion

Activities

Intelligence

Interrogation

Information from the NGOs

SSB has no investigation power, the victims /traffickers are handed over to State Police in presence of NGOs.

Year Cases Traffickers arrested

Victims rescued

2012 08 07 72

2013 14 19 108

2014 08 08 33

2015 (till date)

54 71 206

Efforts of SSB in checking the menace of Human Trafficking

Indo-Nepal Border

Contd/-…

Year Cases Traffickers arrested

Victims rescued

2015(before earthquake)

08 12 47

2015 [after earthquake (25/04/2015) till date]

46 59 159

Cases after earthquake

After the earthquake, SSB rescued 104 male children and 55 women.

Reports show that most of the victims belong to Dhading, Sindhupalchowk, Gorkha, Sindhuli, Lamjung, Syangja and Nuwakot districts(Nepal).

Contd/-…

Year Cases Traffickers arrested

Victims rescued

2012 03 04 062013 03 08 092014 05 02 152015 04 05 26

Indo-Bhutan Border

Inter-state trafficking from remote villages of Assam, West Bengal and Sikkim to the cities like Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai has been reported.

Contd/-…

Bhutan is both source and destination country. However, the number of trafficking cases are not as high as compared to Nepal and India.

Boys and Girls are trafficked from Thimphu, Dagana and other parts of Bhutan to India.

Indian women from Assam, W.B. are being trafficked to Bhutanese bordering towns of Phuentsholing, Gelephu and Samdrup Jongkhar for sex work/domestic help.

How is SSB addressing HT

SSB conduct constant vigil by way of regular Patrolling, Nakas and Checking.

SSB work in tandem with NGOs active in the field of Human Trafficking along Indo-Nepal border like Prayas, Maiti Nepal, Manav Seva Sansthan, REEDS, KI & Shakti Bahini etc.

Outreach volunteers and SSB personnel at cross border transit point.

Contd/-…

Capacity building of SSB personnel on migration and human trafficking with the help of local police and the NGOs

Continuous training and sensitization of SSB personnel

Contd/-…

Issue of Human Trafficking is an important agenda of the home Secretaries’ level talk between India and Nepal.

The issue of Human trafficking is taken up in various level co-ordination between India and Nepal. Chiefs of APF & SSB

Contd/-…

Perception Management programme being carried out by SSB to create awareness among the border population.

International Seminar on Human Trafficking at Delhi in Dec, 2014.

Organised Indo-Bhutan border strengthening workshop on countering Human Trafficking & smuggling of migrants with UNODC at Ftr. Siliguri.

Seminar on Human Trafficking- International Ramifications

Contd/-…

Conduct of Village level meetings by SSB BOPs to sensitize the border population about Human Trafficking.

Contd/-…

SSB has introduced plainclothes “Interaction Teams” on the borders. Keeping in view the friendly relations with Nepal and Bhutan these interaction teams, which include women personnel, are initially deployed at nine crossing points on Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders, to reflect the people friendly face of the Force. These men and women personnel have been trained in soft skills in addition to border security related skills.

Contd/-…

A four digit Toll-Free No. 1903 has been introduced.

Contd/-…

Intelligence sharing with various stakeholders on the border.

Data bank with photographs etc. of Traffickers of both India and Nepal and sharing the details during the co-ordination meeting.

Participation of SSB officers in Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) meetings of border districts.

Difficulties being faced by SSB

Open & porous border. It is very difficult to manage the cross border movement of each and every person.

Lack of real time co-ordination between various stakeholders.

Non availability of Shelter Homes and Rehabilitation Centres at certain places.

Difficulties being faced by SSB in providing food, shelter etc.to the intercepted victims.

No feed back system on follow up action from State authorities available.

Recommendations

The response to trafficking requires simultaneous attention and action by various agencies like Police, Women and Child Development Department of State Governments, Prosecutors, Counselors, NGOs, etc.

Institutionalizing cohesion, coordination among SSB, State Police and NGOs.

Mechanism to share real time information between India & Nepal through quickest means.

Creating stay homes at vulnerable entry points. Messing facilities till return to home or finding rehabilitation.

Contd/…

NGOs, SSB to carry out their perception management to raise concern of people in border areas to be more vigilant and concerned.

Formation of Joint Task Force (JTF) on vulnerable points; consisting of SSB/APF (Nepal), State Police /NGOs of both countries.

AHTUs should be made pro-active in detecting Human Trafficking cases.

Formation of village committee to detect the cases.

Village level meetings should be conducted to create the awareness against HT among the masses.

Village Panchayats need to be sensitized about Human Trafficking.

Contd/…

Awareness Programmes should be organised in schools to sensitize teachers and students against HT.

Case Studies on Human Trafficking should be prepared and circulated among all stakeholders.

Technical surveillance gadgets such as CCTV should be installed at vulnerable places.

Drivers and conductors of State Transport Department are required to be put through sensitization training on HT.

Contd/…

Publicity against HT through Posters, Banners, Hoardings and CDs should be arranged in co-ordination with NGOs and Welfare Department of State Government.

Since number of victims are trafficked from border areas. All Border Guarding Forces (BGFs) to be mandated by Govt. of India to help in restoration of the victims to their homes.

BGFs also be mandated for awareness generation programme about Human Trafficking in Civic Action Programme (CAP).

Thanks