Tedious and time-consuming deportation process, prolonged court cases are to blame.
Seventeen-year-old Rosy (name changed) would vouch that being rescued from the brothel is not synonymous to freedom. Rescued from a brothel in June 2009 Rosy has travelled across two cities and three shelter homes over last two and a half years waiting to be sent to her family back in Bangladesh. In spite of getting her travel permit the NGO taking care of her is unable to deport Rosy since the proceedings of her case is yet to conclude in the court.
“Earlier such kids would be directly deported from the border by the Border Security Force (BSF) and we would be rid of the responsibility of what happens to them across the border.
However, after NGO’s protest, the government made it compulsory to keep the kids in shelter homes, confirm their addresses and only then send them to their respective family. Though this was essential, it has only made the process of deportation a lot more tedious and time consuming,” said an office bearer from Rescue Foundation.
According to the activists the boys from Bangladesh are at a bigger disadvantage considering the Government Regulation (GR) has no mention of them. “In fact, the government of Maharashtra even made a special task force to send the foreign children home but even they too have only women and girl child under their umbrella. The procedure for the boys is even more tedious which ranges from taking an No Objection Certificate from the Child Welfare Committee, informing the Bangladesh high command, their NGOs, taking travel permit from ministry of external affairs, clearance from investigating officers and courts etc,” said Kavita Saxena from Rescue Foundation. She added that currently there are over a hundred girls at the rescue foundation waiting to be sent back home.
In yet another complication, the children many a times fail to explain their exact addresses and insist they can identify their homes if taken to the said village, which is not possible according to procedure. “We convey details to concerned authorities in Bangladesh over the phone. And a lot of times the case is dismissed saying the address is wrong,” added the activist.
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