Insight: Human trafficking in India

Context and background 

In the case of human trafficking, India is among the top countries in the world and it is considered a source of human trafficking, transit and destination. In addition to inter-state human trafficking between any one state borders and international human trafficking from Nepal and Bangladesh also happens in India due to a long open border. West Bengal has emerged as a new center for human trafficking. India has human trafficking in West Asia, North America and European countries. Worldwide, there are about one-third of the victims of human trafficking.

Definition of human trafficking
According to the definition of the United Nations, acts of frightening, forceful or faulty behavior, taking place there or taking hostage, fall under the category of trafficking.

Why is human trafficking?

• Poverty and illiteracy is the biggest reason
• Demand and supply theory
• Bonded wages 
• Body trade 
• social inequality
• Regional gender imbalance 
• Longing for better life
• Social security concerns 
• Domestic work also involves smuggling of girls 
• Child pornography also involves smuggling of children 

Most human trafficking occurs from Bangladesh

• It is very difficult to differentiate between the citizens of Bangladesh and the people of West Bengal in India, and there is a long open border between the two countries. 
• There is no provision of security in a large part of the two countries' border and people from both countries live up to the last end of the Zero Line (No Man's Land). If someone's house is in India then the Aangan is in Bangladesh. 
• It is said that cattle from India are taken to Bangladesh and girls and women from there are brought to India. 
• According to an estimate, about 5 lakh women, girls and children from Bangladesh were illegally brought to India in the last decade and this number is increasing year after year. 
• This is the reason that West Bengal has emerged as India's largest sex market today and statistics also testify to this fact. 
• Among the girls who were sexually transmitted in groups across the country, 7 of the 10 girls are brought from North and South 24 Parganas. 
• The biggest fear of these girls is to get caught, because when they are released and sent home, the family refuses to accept them to avoid social evil. 
• In order to avoid being caught, the broker of these girls keeps changing their whereabouts and mobile SIM cards.
• Benopole border with Bangladesh is the most used route by brokers for human trafficking, and Bangladeshi brokers have made their strong hideouts in border areas. 
• Bangladeshi girls are brought to India by offering lucrative jobs, salaries and facilities besides lure of working in movies and films, where Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore are considered to be their favorite places. 

National Crime Record Bureau Report-2013 on Human Trafficking

According to the statistics of the National Crime Records Bureau, more than 8,000 cases of human trafficking have been reported in India in 2016, out of which 182 foreigners including 23 thousand victims were released.

• A total of 8,312 cases of human trafficking are reported in the country in the year 2016. This number was 6,877 in the year 2015, one year ago.
• In 2015, 9,034 of the 15,379 victims (58 percent) were under 18 years of age, the number increased to 14,183 in 2016.
• As many as 3,579 cases of human trafficking (about 44 percent) were recorded in West Bengal, while in Assam in the year 2015, West Bengal and West Bengal stood second with 1,255 cases.
• In Assam, 91 cases of human trafficking were recorded in the year 2016, which was much lower than the 1,494 cases of 2015. In the year 2016, Rajasthan remained second in this list, where 1,422 cases of human trafficking were registered. After this, 548 in Gujarat, 517 in Maharashtra and in Tamil Nadu
• Delhi ranked 14th in this list, where 66 cases of human trafficking were recorded, which was 87 in 2015.
• Behind the trafficking of children, NCRB has given many reasons for child marriage, child labor, domestic help and sexual abuse.

In 2016, a total of 23,117 victims were released, i.e. about 63 people saved every day. There were 22,932 Indian nationals who were rescued, 38 were Sri Lankans and the same Nepalese. 33 of the released people were identified as Bangladeshi and 73 other citizens of Thailand and Uzbekistan as well as other countries.

(Team Vision Input)

Border Security Force report: 2217 kms in West Bengal between the two countries The border security force is responsible for the monitoring of the border and according to a report, this work is done on the basis of the raw roads and rivers on the monitored boundary. This report also shows that Rohingya women are also being sent to India through smuggling, who work in brothels and dance bars. This work is organized by gangs and illegal placement agencies providing domestic workers in metros are also involved in it.

In India, for bonded labor, more human trafficking: Bonded wages is the biggest problem of human trafficking in India, in which loan-bonds to men, women and children, brick-kilns, rice mills and factories inherited from previous generations It has to be forced to work. Most cases of trafficking of extremely poor families, Dalits, Adivasis, religious minorities, and the families of women excluded from society have been found. 

Role of the Internet in Human Trafficking

Of course, grana technology has made human life unbounded, but it has become the biggest tool for human trafficking today. By blaming others on social networking sites with other means of making employment through foreign media, it is only through the use of it that after leaving love and leaving their homes, there has been an unexpected increase in human trafficking cases. According to a report of 'Pottwahini', a non-government organization working for the prevention of American Consulate in Kolkata and Human Trafficking, the Internet has emerged as a major medium in human trafficking in the country. Human trafficking is being done through fraudulent means by the organized gangs in different parts of the country.

(Team Vision Input)

Various measures taken to prevent human trafficking 
: Legal measures have been further strengthened under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013: Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 and this amended law came into effect from February 3, 2013 is. 
Section 370 of the Indian Penal Code: Section 370 of the Indian Penal Code has been placed in place of 370 A and 370 in this new Act. This section broadly prohibits human trafficking, in addition to human trafficking, child trafficking, sexual harassment, slavery and harassment of human organs.
UNODC: India's Home Ministry is cooperating with the UN Office of Drugs & Crime (UNODC) for the prevention of human trafficking. UNODC South Asia Division is in the process of launching a special 'Trafficking in Persones Platform' with the perspective of law enforcement and rehabilitation. In the latest report of UNODC, 500 different types of trafficking have been identified.

Human Trafficking (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2016: There is a provision for doubling the punishment of human trafficking criminals and there is also provision for the creation of special courts for quick hearing of such cases. Under this law, provision has been made not to make the identity of the victims public, but forced labor has not been included in it.

Major provisions of the bill 

The bill, which covers bonded wages and lowering wages, is included in this bill. For example, such a family of metropolis who keep little girls like a maid and do not pay them enough wages, exploit them, then such action can be taken against the family.

• Prevention of identification of victims and witnesses: If the media or any person will make the name or identity of the victims and witnesses public, strict action will be taken against them.
• Special Investigation Agency: The Central Government has been suggested to constitute a special investigation agency, which will investigate the cases of human trafficking under the new law.
• Special Court: There is a provision for setting up of special courts at the district level to reduce the victims' trauma and punishment in more and more cases and it is also proposed to appoint government lawyers and judges.
• Rehabilitation: For the victims of trafficking, government accommodation for long periods of time should be arranged, where their rehabilitation is emphasized, they should be taught new skills so that they can do their own livelihood.
• International trafficking: Human trafficking is abundant in India's neighboring countries, so it is suggested to increase its synergy with neighboring countries for its prevention.
• It is suggested to set up anti-ministerial anti-trafficking committees at district and state level.

Passing the bill early can open the door for maximum punishment to people involved in smuggling and to prevent trafficking of children like trafficking, by improving the legal provisions related to smuggling.

(Team Vision Input)

Article 23 (1) of the Constitution: In this article, human trafficking has been banned and it has been made a legally punishable offense. Along with this, it has also been prohibited for a person to work without paying remuneration (forced labor). However, this article allows the state to apply compulsory service, including compulsory recruitment and community service, for public purpose. 
trackthemissingchild.gov.in: Ministry of Women and Child Development has created this website. This website, which interacts with each other, gives information regarding the missing children in each state. Information about the number of missing children, their disappearance and related police station can be obtained by this website. 
There have also been agreements: The Government of India has been required to take measures to safeguard and protect the victims of human trafficking along with the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh. For this, mutual cooperation is required for an integrated effort to counter the challenges of joint exchange, joint investigation and human trafficking among allied countries.

Other measures that can be done

• Strengthen cooperation between all concerned ministries and agencies to prevent the trafficking of all types of human trafficking, especially women and children.
• Ensure quick investigation and prosecution of human smugglers and organized crime. 
• Take steps to prevent human trafficking, which will eliminate the trafficking of women and children and protect the rights of victims of human trafficking.
• Work to prevent human trafficking by establishing human trafficking cells and workforce in different states.
• Police and other concerned officers work together and exchange information among themselves, which can be used to tighten the control of human smugglers.

Gulf countries are a big destination for human trafficking 

• As a destination of human trafficking, South Asian countries are mainly affected by domestic human trafficking or human trafficking from neighboring countries. 
• In countries like UAE, Saudi Arabia, India is a source and transit country for human trafficking.
• United Arab Emirates is primarily a destination and transit country for men and women in South, South-East and Central Asia and Eastern Europe, which has to face forced labor and sexual trafficking. 
• Expatriate workers are mainly appointed from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Iran and East-South and Southeast Asia, which are more than 95 percent of the private sector labor force in the United Arab Emirates. 
• Some of these workers have to face the poverty in the United Arab Emirates, and in some of these countries women volunteer work in cleaning the domestic workers, secretaries, beauticians and hotels. 
• Some of these have to be illegally forced to work for labor, seize their passports, ban movement, not pay wages, threats and physical or sexual abuse.

(Team Vision Input)

ConclusionHuman trafficking is one of the major problems present in front of the present world. Despite all the efforts, it is not possible to stop it, and not just the small-developed and developing countries, but the developed nation is also untouched by this problem. Human trafficking is also one of the major problems of India. Some time ago, the United States prepared a special report by observing the countries affected by human trafficking and efforts to prevent this. In this India was kept in Tier-II category, which means that efforts are being made in this direction, but they are not proven to be completely effective. All these efforts are unable to meet the necessary international norms. However, the Indian government has identified the victims in the country, taking legal action against the perpetrators and punishing, preparing special action plans for the victims and children, rehabilitation, There are measures taken to increase the budget for shelter sites and employment provision etc. But there is still much left to do in this direction.