Human trafficking has become a fast growing, criminal industry in the world. It is one of the most heinous crimes that have affected many developing nations and the world at large. Most of the people who are trafficked are from countries like Nepal, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, and eastern Europe whose economic condition is very poor and the illiteracy rate is very high. It is estimated that about 700,000 to 2 million people- mainly women and children are being trafficked yearly. Human trafficking has become the third largest illegal trade in the world after drug smuggling and weapons which makes the annual profit of it upto 5 billion to 7 billion USD.

Nepal has become one of the main centers of forced labor and sex trafficking. As Nepal is a poor country, there are many people who are jobless and fail to look after their families. So the smugglers target those people in the remote areas offering them a job in the city that could support their family. As the border between Nepal and India is 1,000 miles and there are only 14 checkpoints along the route, this makes the traffickers job easy to take the victims to India. Then the victims are smuggled to the Middle East, Malaysia, Hong Kong, or sold into brothels of Mumbai and Delhi They are forced to become prostitutes, domestic servants, beggars, factory workers, mine workers, etc. India is the main place where most of the Nepalese are trafficked to especially women and children. As reported by the Times News Network, every year, 5,000 to 7,000 women and children are trafficked for forced prostitution in India and in total about 100,000 to 200,000 trafficked Nepalis are in India. At first it was believed that girls from some specific geographical areas are being trafficked, but it was found that this crime has expanded to every area including men and boys.

Nepal have been rated Tier 2 by The Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP) compiled by the US State Department, which means “the government does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of the trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts.” Nepal government has made significant effort to stop human trafficking. They have formed the National Committee for Controlling Human Trafficking(NCCHT) which provides District Committee for Controlling Human Trafficking, around $420 and $570 for awareness campaigns, meeting expenses, and emergency victims services.Moreover organizations like Maiti Nepal, 3 Angels, and others have made significant progress in intercepting the trafficking of women and children. In the last three years 3 Angels has rescued over 4000 girls before the victims reached the brothels. The rescued girls are counseled and reunited with families.

Those people who are involved in this dirty crime are a disgrace to humanity. It  really makes me wonder, how can they shatter dreams of other people to fulfill their own? I would better die than be involved in such a heartless activity. Why can’t they hear the cries of those innocent people whom they have sold? If those people understand  their wrong deeds and stop trafficking innocent lives, the world would be a better place.

The present condition of human trafficking really makes me worried. These thoughts haunt me even in my dreams.  If we want our families and relatives to be safe from these crimes, it should be stopped by any means necessary. Some of the Nepalese organizations have shown us that it can be stopped if we want it to stop. They are working day and night to spread awareness, rescue the trafficked and rehabilitate them back into society. If trafficking is to stop completely then people like us should help those organizations. It’s better if people are made aware. In Nepal , girls who are lost are called lost angels because they are never found again. I wish for the day  to come when the lost girls will never be called the lost angels.

The more we know the better equipped we will be to stop the exploitation of our citizens.