SHAME ON MOFA

The Kathmandu Post

13 August 2017

SHAME ON MOFA

It was shocking to hear how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) failed to act on curbing and controlling human trafficking to Gulf countries in accordance with a report released by a team of parliamentarians headed by Prabhu Sah, the then Chairman of the sub-committee of International Relation and Labour Committee of Parliament. The team found out that the officials of the other state agencies and even the immigration department colluded with the human traffickers(“MoFA failed to act, says House panel report” August 9, Page 1).

More than 60 % of domestic workers who reached the Gulf were found to have travelled through Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA). This indicates that there is a well established network between the concerned officials and human traffickers. There seems to be serious flaws in the immigration system which needs to be immediately corrected in order to curb human trafficking However, the question here is; which government organization can take this initiative?

Over 30,000 domestic women workers from Nepal have reached Saudi Arabia illegally to work as domestic help and the number of women reaching other countries through illegal channels operated in collusion with immigration officials and smugglers is equally high. The condition of most of these women working as domestic help was found to be extremely awful. The time has come for the concerned government organization to act swiftly and lawfully punish the culprits to discourage human trafficking.

Rai Biren Bangdel

Maharajgunj

http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/printedition/news/2017-08-13/shame-on-mofa.html