NAC in trafficking

The people involved in human trafficking constantly explore creative techniques to exploit poor laborers by exporting them illegally to labor-deficient countries. These human traffickers get heavily compensated from the unemployed youth, who are ready to take any risk for the job abroad. The agents also get hefty commission from the labor recipients, who enjoy cheap Nepali labor force. The Nepal Airlines Corporations, Department of Immigration and security personnel have been found involved in human trafficking. The traffickers have established a strong nexus among these three institutions to ferry people to the United Arab Emirates without visa. The UAE immigration and security could also be suspected for their involvement in letting the trafficked people the back-door entry. This racket has to be immediately stopped by both the Nepali and UAE governments.

The incident in which 22 Nepalis were stranded at Dubai airport for about two weeks, and NAC received subsequent warning from the UAE Immigration Department has posed a serious question. The government should immediately form an investigation committee to unmask the NAC staff, immigration and police involved in the racket. NAC has claimed that its staff might have been deceived by the laborers as the labor visa comes in a loose paper from Arab countries. However, the reports say that most of the 22 Nepalis stranded at Dubai airport did not have any official paper whatsoever. So, the question of genuine or fake does not arise. Moreover, even if NAC failed to distinguish fake from genuine, the immigration staff should have stopped the human trade because they are trained for the purpose. And it is their responsibility to check any illegal emigrant. The security force is undoubtedly involved in the trade as it has been an opportunity for its personnel to earn money.

What is the problem if Nepalis are getting employment abroad -- be it legal or illegal? The problem is that the illegal laborers, who enter foreign countries without papers, are exploited to death. They can never recover the money they spend in finding the job abroad. Neither can they come back, even if they wish to do so. Such an illegal and illegitimate human trade tarnishes the country's image. Not only the UAE, soon all other countries where Nepali laborers aspire to go will debar NAC from flying. This act has also incurred huge losses to NAC because it has to bring back all the stranded people who fail to enter the country for free. The most dangerous aspect is that the illegal migrants are smuggled into war torn Iraq and Afghanistan. They may lose their lives as unidentified persons. So, the government should stop human trade and punish those involved in it - be they NAC staff, immigration officials or security personnel.

Source: The Kathmandu Post, May 22, 2007