The Ministry of Home Affairs has directed all 75 district administration offices to step up vigil at transit points to prevent trafficking of children and child abuses.

In a circular, MoHA has drawn the attention of chief district officers to rising incidents of trafficking of vulnerable children out of the country and relocation of the minors by assuring them of better education, health care, and safe homes.

“The ministry’s serious attention has been drawn to the increasing unsolicited activities of some individuals and organisations that are luring innocent children out of their homes. The trafficking of children has not yet been fully controlled in rural areas of the quake-affected and other districts,” the circular reads.

MoHA has directed the CDOs not to allow any person or organisation to relocate the children and not to give permission for the same unless and until there is an extraordinary circumstance, which should be verified by the concerned District Child Welfare Board.
The district administration offices have been told to strictly abide by the Child Protection Act, 1992 that prohibits handing over of a child to a children’s home except in a case where he/she is unclaimed and has been stranded due to the absence of his/her father or mother, or any other close relatives.

“If a children’s home or organisation wants to take the custody of such child, the concerned District Administration Office will recommend for the same at the approval of the DCWB only,” reads the circular, adding, “Any individual or organisation relocating or attempting to relocate the children without taking prior approval of the competent authorities will face charges under the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act, 2007.”

The has ministry urged the DCWB to make necessary arrangements of shelter and education at local levels in the case of internally displaced children who have lost father, mother and close relatives in the disaster.

MoHA has also directed the CDOs to provide it with details as to how many children were handed over to which organisations for their protection according to the existing laws as soon as possible.

In the aftermath of the earthquakes in Nepal, children, particularly those who were orphaned, have become vulnerable to trafficking, and stakeholders have been urging concerned authorities to be alert and pay serious attention to curb the crime. According to government statistics, 82 children lost their both parents to the quakes while 427 others lost one of their parents. As many as 49 children from Dhading and two from Kavre were rescued after the quakes.

Yesterday, stakeholders at a programme jointly organised by the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, Central Child Welfare Board and UNICEF had warned of strict legal action against those found guilty of relocating children on the pretext of education opportunity and better life.

Published on: 19 June 2015 | The Himalayan Times