Police, NGOs seek uniform repatriation process for foreign trafficking survivors

Panaji: Goa police and agencies and NGOs from Goa, Maharashtra and West Bengal have called for a uniform repatriation process for foreign trafficking survivors amid a rise in foreigners allegedly being pushed into prostitution in Goa and other states. In the last five years, 21 foreigners were rescued in Goa. They were from Kenya, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh, among other countries.

The consultation - supported by ECPAT, Luxembourg - brought together around 50 participants, including govt officials, police officers, child protection personnel, and representatives of NGOs to discuss challenges and best practices in repatriating foreign trafficking victims.

Director of Anyay Rahit Zindagi (ARZ), Arun Pandey, said key recommendations included adopting a uniform repatriation procedure across India, appointing state nodal officers to coordinate with embassies, simplifying travel permit procedures — especially for Bangladeshi victims — digitising repatriation records, and strengthening rehabilitation support in survivors’ home countries. ARZ is the nodal agency for Goa police to rescue survivors of commercial sexual exploitation (CSE).

Pandey said participants stressed that repatriation should be survivor-centric, safe, dignified, and completed as quickly as possible. He said Goa has developed several good practices, including speedy inquiries, prompt magistrate orders, and financial support from state govt for repatriation expenses, particularly for survivors from Nepal and Bangladesh. Participants observed that Goa records one of the shortest repatriation timelines in the country.

During panel discussions, representatives from Goa, Maharashtra, and West Bengal shared experiences on repatriation procedures, inter-agency coordination, and challenges in cross-border trafficking cases.

A Kenyan survivor rescued in Goa said she came to India in 2024 after being convinced by a fellow Kenyan to work as a waitress. “She paid me everything. When I came to India, my pimp, who was a woman from Kenya, ordered that I solicit customers. She told me that if I didn’t do the work, I would have to pay her Rs 5.5 lakh. She took my passport and my documents and threatened me. She told me that if I refused to work, she would call people to beat me up. So, I had to do that work,” she said.

The survivor said she complied because of the threats. “After some time, I started investigating the traffickers. The moment I finished investigating her, I sought help from human rights in Kenya and got rescued,” she said.