The Bardiya District Court has sentenced 22 individuals to four years and 11 months in prison for human trafficking cases. According to Kapil Paudyal, Registrar of the Bardiya District Court, 60 individuals were defendants in human trafficking cases registered at the court from the fiscal year 2020/2021 to 2024/2025. Among them, the court has convicted 22 individuals and sentenced them to prison, while 27 have been acquitted. Verdicts are yet to be issued in cases involving the remaining 11 defendants.
Advocate Som Khadka stated that various laws have been enacted for the care and protection of victims affected by human trafficking. These include the National Minimum Standards 2011, the Guidelines for Operating Rehabilitation Centers 2011, and the Psychosocial Counseling Guidelines 2011. Additionally, the National Plan of Action 2011 against human trafficking particularly the trafficking of women and children has an implementation plan from 2014, along with a national fund dedicated to the rescue, protection, and rehabilitation of victims and affected individuals.
He stated that despite the enactment of numerous laws aimed at preventing and controlling human trafficking, the crime continues to persist. The rising unemployment rate has led many young individuals seeking foreign employment to become victims of trafficking.