The National Human Rights Commission has drawn the government’s attention to Nepalis stranded at Nepal-India border points and asked to rescue them immediately.

Issuing a statement on Tuesday, the national rights body asked the government to make arrangements of quarantine and isolation facilities as per the World Health Organisation standard and rescue the citizens stranded at various Nepal-India border points.

“The commission’s attention has been drawn to the fact that Nepalis who were in India for work have been stranded at various border points,” said the commission. “The Nepali authorities are barring them from entering the country on the grounds that they could possibly transmit Covid-19. Due to this some have been forced to use alternative routes to enter the country.”

The commission said barring own nationals from entering the country is in violation of their constitutionally guaranteed right.

“Prohibiting Nepali citizens from returning home is a violation of their right to live with dignity, right to freedom and right to equality as provided by the Constitution of Nepal and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966,” said the commission. “It is also against the Supreme Court ruling.”

The Supreme Court on April 16 had issued an interim order, directing the government to rescue migrant workers stranded in vulnerable conditions and to ensure WHO-prescribed health services based on the situation.
Responding to a writ filed by advocate Shom Prasad Luitel, a single bench of Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla had asked the government to do necessary homework to rescue the stranded Nepalis.

The commission said it, along with the Federation of the Nepali Journalists and Nepal Bar Association, is monitoring the human rights situation ever since the lockdown was imposed on March 24.
“During our monitoring, we found that even those, who have completed six weeks in the quarantines in the border areas, are not being allowed to enter the country,” said the commission.