KATHMANDU, August 14

The Ministry of Home Affairs has directed all five regional administration offices to be strict while issuing marriage certificates.

In a circular issued recently to regional administration offices in Dhankuta, Hetauda, Pokhara, Surkhet and Dipayal, Local Administration Section under the MoHA asked them to be vigilant against ‘fake’ husbands and wives approaching local bodies (VDCs and municipalities) for marriage certificates.

The circular comes in the wake of complaints that several Nepali women were being trafficked abroad by foreigners after ‘marrying them’. “We have to prevent Nepali women from being trafficked abroad and subjected to sexual exploitation, violence and torture using various channels. Foreigners have been luring Nepali women into going abroad through legal channel of marriage,” read the circular.

The MoHA has directed the regional administration offices to issue marriage certificates through the local body of any of the districts the male or female has obtained citizenship in the case of marriage between Nepalis. “In the case of marriage between a Nepali and a foreigner, it requires the male/female to obtain marriage certificate from the local body of the district the male or female has obtained citizenship from,” it states.

If it is not reasonable to issue marriage certificate on these grounds, the concerned local body will be required to seek application attached with attested copy of citizenship and records of district that issued the citizenship, migration certificate of the present district and land ownership certificate before proceeding with action to provide marriage certificate.

The government has been on a high alert to prevent trafficking of women in the aftermath of the April 25 earthquake. According to Nepal Police, women and children could be trafficked out of the country in the post-disaster situation, as some of them were left homeless or were orphaned.

Bearing in mind the suspicious activities in the quake-affected areas and international borders, police have stepped up vigilance on makeshift camps, transportation system and border areas, he added.

In addition, a five-member special task force led by DIG Mingmar Lama, Director at the Women and Children Service Directorate, has been formed to curb post-earthquake crimes.