By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, MAY 30, 2015: THE Union Cabinet has given its approval for signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on prevention of human trafficking especially trafficking in women and children: rescue, recovery, repatriation and reintegration of victims of human trafficking.

The salient features of the MoU are as follows:

i. To strengthen cooperation to prevent all forms of the human trafficking, especially that of women and children and ensure the speedy investigation and prosecution of traffickers and organized crime syndicates in either country;

ii. enumeration of preventive measures that would be taken to eliminate human trafficking in women and children and in protecting the rights of victims of trafficking; and

iii. repatriation of victims would be done as expeditiously as possible and the home country will undertake the safe and effective reintegration of the victims.

Background:

A Task Force of India and Bangladesh was constituted to take coordinated action against individuals/touts/agents involved in human trafficking and meetings of the Task Force are being held regularly. Accordingly, four meetings of the Task Force have been held so far.

During the fourth meeting of the Task Force which was held in Mumbai from 6-7th April, 2014, both sides reviewed the progress on decisions taken in the earlier meetings and held comprehensive discussions and finalized the text of the draft MOU on prevention of human trafficking.