India: SOPs to help First Responders address human trafficking at the borders unveiled

                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

New Delhi/April 16, 2018: The UNODC Regional Office for South Asia, in collaboration with Justice and Care, an anti-trafficking NGO in India, has developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to serve as a ready reckoner for First Responders to identify, rescue, and repatriate victims of cross-border trafficking at the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bangladesh borders.

These SOPs seek to assist law enforcement and border security officials, representatives from civil society organisations and the wider public in responding in a timely and victim-centred approach, when faced with a situation of cross border trafficking between the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bangladesh borders.

The SOPs were developed as part of a regional project titled "Strengthening service provision for protection and assistance to victims of cross-border trafficking between Bangladesh, India and Nepal", between 2014 and 2017. The project recognized the urgent need for collaboration between key officials and all the other stakeholders involved in dealing with cross border trafficking.

This project was carried out in collaboration with relevant government counterparts and civil society partners from Bangladesh, India and Nepal, with the aim to:

•          Establish/strengthen victim referral and protection mechanisms in these countries,

•          Design and implement measures to prevent cross-border trafficking.

•          Improve cross-border cooperation among relevant actors for rights based repatriation of victims.

The documents can be read here:

                                                                                                                                                                                                              Bangladesh                                                     Nepal