38 suspected victims of human trafficking from Bhutan were repatriated between 2023 and 2024. They were returned from Thailand, India, the Philippines, and Qatar, among other places. According to the DLO chief, the 38 people were sent back home because they may have been involved in human trafficking. These included being recruited by unlicensed agents, working long hours as forced laborers, receiving pay that was less than what was promised, having their passports seized, being unable to travel, and being threatened with financial penalties if they left their homes. Law enforcement in the Philippines identified six people, Indian police located one in Jaipur, and six domestic workers who were hired by an unlicensed monk in Bhutan were discovered in Bangkok, Thailand.
Karma Dorji said DoEE’s requirements for foreign employment, include a Class 10 minimum education, an age restriction of 21 to 29, and prohibitions on occupations like construction, massage parlors, and domestic work, may be driving people toward illegal agents. According to a DLO study, the stigma associated with domestic work in the nation may be a major reason why people turn to illegal means to find work overseas. Victims revealed that they had few options due to their desperate search for a “decent job.” DLO is looking into these cases right now. According to Karma Dorji, authorities were able to identify 26 victims who were trying to flee the country thanks to the training. To institutionalize the process, DLO is now creating SOP for victim identification entry and exit points.
