Govt speeds up rescue & repatriation of nepali workers held hostage in India
The Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens has accelerated the rescue of Nepalis who were detained and forced to work in conflict-affected areas without payment.
KATHMANDU: The government has expedited efforts to rescue, repatriate, and reunite Nepali workers who were held hostage in India.
The Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens has accelerated the rescue of Nepalis who were detained and forced to work in conflict-affected areas without payment.
These workers were lured with promises of attractive wages and employment in road construction, among other jobs.
Dinesh Bhattarai, Secretary of the Ministry, reported that seven men from Dhanusha district and 21 men from Siraha (ages 24 to 60) who had been recently taken hostage have been rescued with the assistance of the Indian NGO ‘Kin India’ and returned to Nepal.
Under the leadership of the Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens, and in coordination with the Nepali Embassy in India, as well as with technical support from ‘Why India,’ the victims were rescued and transported to Janakpur.
The Ministry emphasized that rescuing and protecting victims of human trafficking remains a top priority.
The 28 rescued individuals were reunited with their families in Dhanusha through the Human Trafficking Control District Committee.
The reunion was attended by Minister of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens Nawal Kishor Sah Sudi, Secretary Bhattarai, and Joint Secretary Abha Shrestha Karna.
