Kathmandu, June 15: The United States, which is investigating human trafficking on a visit visa under the protection of the Ministry of Home Affairs, has placed Nepal on a monitoring group, listing it as a country with widespread human trafficking. The US Department of State in its recent Trafficking in Persons (TIP) 2024 report has placed Nepal on the 'Tier 2 Watch List' citing an increase in the risk of human trafficking from the previous year. In 2023, Nepal was only in Tier 2.

Nepal has been on the list due to human trafficking involving even people holding important positions in the state and not doing enough in law enforcement. The report states that Nepal has not fully adopted the minimum standards for controlling human trafficking and trafficking and prosecuting the culprits. It is also mentioned that the conflict of interest has increased due to the relationship of those involved in such business with government officials and parliamentarians. Similarly, concerns have been expressed over the lack of adequate action against government officials involved in such work.

Last year, police filed a lawsuit against eight immigration officials who ran the setting on visit visas. One of the branch officers, Bimal Poudel, was placed by Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak in his own secretariat. Some of the other officials involved in the case are also working in the Ministry of Home Affairs. The TIP report also raises questions about the responsibilities of some employees who have been accused of human trafficking in the past.

"The government has not reported on the cases of government officials who have been investigated and prosecuted in the past, and some of the accused officials remain in office," the report said.

The TIP report states that despite some efforts, including law amendments, overall there has not been enough effort compared to the previous year. The government has made very few prosecutions against human traffickers in 2024 and the involvement of government officials is also considered to be the main reason for the decline. It has also been pointed out that a large number of those who go to foreign employment have been cheated and the government is indifferent to compensate them. Similarly, the report has also raised the issue of human traffickers bribing government officials and forging documents.

The report also mentions that some policemen and leaders are involved in 'sex trafficking'. Questions have also been raised about the absence of any formal agreement with neighboring India to repatriate victims of human trafficking.

The report has suggested speeding up the investigation and action against the culprits involved in human trafficking by amending the law. An official of the Human Trafficking Investigation Bureau says that if it is not improved, Nepal risks being added to the negative list in the coming days.

The United States has raised more questions on Nepal by evaluating the increased trafficking from the Gulf to African countries on visit visas, the trafficking of Nepali girls who marry in China and human trafficking to the United States. Despite the increase in human trafficking from Nepal to the US last year, the police have not been able to bring those involved in it under the purview of the investigation. Similarly, the fake Bhutanese refugee case has also not been fully investigated, a top police official says, adding that Nepal is now on the negative list of human trafficking.

The investigation has become a subject of international interest after it was revealed that human trafficking took place in an institutional setting from immigration in Nepal and blacklisted individuals were also flown. India and the United States have become alert on human trafficking in Nepal. Neighboring India has expressed serious concern after it was confirmed that blacklisted Indians were also flown to third countries through a setting at the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA).

The CIAA investigation has confirmed that people involved in extremist activities in India have gone to third countries from Nepal. Some of them had also gone abroad on fake No Objection Letters (NOCs) issued by the Indian Embassy here. The CIAA is conducting a detailed investigation by seeking details of 1,000 Indians who visited in such a suspicious manner. Indian officials have taken the matter seriously, saying that the setting of Nepal's immigration has also affected the security of their country. The authority has found that blacklisted Indians involved in suspicious activities can be sent to a third country for a transaction of up to Rs 3 lakh per person.

The U.S. is also closely monitoring the investigation. After the arrest of Joint Secretary Tirtharaj Bhattarai, the US Embassy in Kathmandu revoked his US visa. The embassy revoked his visa after it was revealed that a high-level person like the joint secretary had run the setting of human trafficking. The U.S. Embassy has expressed interest in the case, saying that allowing blacklisted individuals to leave could also facilitate terrorist activities. Security officials say that if there is no detailed investigation into the matter, the Home Ministry itself may be blacklisted by the US.

Earlier, while questioning the security system of Nepal's immigration, it had pointed out the risk of Nepal becoming a playground for terrorists. There is a risk that he will put Nepal on the negative list again after the details of the last time hundreds of suspicious people flew out of the airport were leaked.

(Naya Patrika Daily)

People’s News Monitoring Service.