Nepal: Multi-Country Study on Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants    

 

Kathmandu, Nepal/November 12, 2019: UNODC is implementing in partnership with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), a four year (2015-2019) Global Action against Trafficking in Persons and the Smuggling of Migrants (GLO.ACT) project as a joint initiative with the European Union. As a part of this project, a Multi Country Study on Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling was commissioned to assist the Government of Nepal to strengthen its responses in addressing smuggling of migrants from Nepal to the United States of America and Europe.

This study represents a start towards developing a deeper, more nuanced understanding of the crime of migrant smuggling and its effects. It has been developed to enable an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon of migrant smuggling in Nepal, with a particular emphasis on the legal frameworks and current responses. The focus of this study has been to understand the situation from the migrant's point of view, the push and pull factors, which take them on a perilous journey, and their expectations from the government when they are deported back to their country of origin. This study also offers insight into the complexity of the smuggling phenomenon, while also showing how much more information is needed, including cross-border linkages.

The primary objectives of this study are to:

(i) understand the realities and challenges associated with smuggling of migrants from Nepal, primarily to the United States, and Europe;

(ii) inform about migrant-smuggling legal frameworks and policies and other measures at the national level, and

(iii) foster international cooperation. The report also seeks to examine the nature of human trafficking and smuggling of Nepalese migrants to South Africa and to East Africa, mainly Kenya. 

Although this report is focused on studying smuggling of migrants from Nepal, it also mentions smuggled migrants from Bangladesh and India (and sometimes Pakistan, and Sri Lanka), because almost all the available research, literature, and field visit interviews point towards South Asians (namely Nepalese, Bangladeshis and Indians) normally using the same routes and similar smuggling networks.

Read The Report Here