Trafficked: The Hidden Epidemic of Modern Slavery

“You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.” —William Wilberforce

The world is a marketplace. With the effects of globalization, the exchange of commodities has been made easier, faster and convenient. But, what happens when the commodity is a living being sold for the gains and entertainment of others?

Slavery was abolished centuries ago, yet it still persists in the world in the form of human trafficking. Human trafficking means the trade of humans for the purpose of forced labor, sexual slavery and commercial sexual exploitation. No part of the world is immune to this infectious trade and it emerges as one of the strongest underground economies. According to scholar Kevin Bales, author of Disposable People (2004), estimates that as many as 27 million people are in "modern-day slavery" across the globe. The instances of human trafficking are so common, but often this crime is done secretly. Language barriers, fear of their traffickers, and/or fear of law enforcement frequently keep victims from seeking help, making human trafficking a hidden crime.The trauma caused by the traffickers can be so great that many may not identify themselves as victims or ask for help, even in highly public settings.

Recently, Delhi Police raided a red light area and found women, especially young girls being forced into prostitution. In a similar instance, as many as 14 people were arrested in connection to human trafficking in a Comic con at San Diego. The officers posed as sex buyers in an attempt to identify the traders. Usually, the victims of trafficking are forced into slavery, prostitution, drug dealings and also child labour, but human trafficking is not limited to this only. The traffickers take advantage of their targets' vulnerability and sweet talk them into the trap. Usually, they make promises about alleviating their conditions, offering financial and emotional support, providing education, career opportunities or a better lifestyle and also resettlement in foreign lands. The war-hit countries are very prone to humongous cases of trafficking as people are in desperate need of shelter and often relocate to different lands. 

During the armed conflict in Lebanon in 2006, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime became aware that traffickers were targeting some of the 300,000 domestic workers from Sri Lanka, Ethiopia and the Philippines left behind when their foreign employers were evacuated. Having abruptly lost their livelihoods and official resident status, the workers quickly became vulnerable.

With advancement of technology, human trafficking has also been modernized. Traffickers have integrated technology into their business model at every stage of the process, from recruiting to exploiting victims. Many children are approached by traffickers on social media. UNODC has identified two types of strategies, “hunting” involving a trafficker actively pursuing a victim, typically on social media and “phishing”, when perpetrators post job advertisements and wait for potential victims to respond. Technology can be misused by traffickers to launder or transfer illicit profits.

Human trafficking is not limited to any gender or age, but statistics show that 7 out of 10 victims are women. For every 10 victims detected globally, five are adult women and two are girls, according to a report released in 2021 by the UNODC. In 2020, the total number of victims of trafficking detected around the world by UNODC declined for the first time in twenty years as the pandemic limited opportunities for traffickers and its detection (UNODC, 2023). Compared to 2019, the total number of victims detected in 2020 decreased by 11 per cent. In addition to the limited opportunities for trafficking and detection, this decrease could also be due to some forms of trafficking - such as for sexual exploitation - moving to more hidden spaces. Globally, the detection of victims trafficked for sexual exploitation decreased by 24 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019.

India is one of the most vulnerable countries for human trafficking. . In 2022, the government reported identifying 7,134 trafficking victims and 900 potential trafficking victims, compared with 5,934 victims and 753 potential victims identified in 2021, and 6,622 victims and 694 potential victims identified in 2020. 

Human trafficking has been criminalized in 158 countries by 2016, yet the cases still persist on a global level. The UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children has 117 signatories and 173 parties. Trafficking in Human Beings (THB) is prohibited under the Constitution of India under Article 23. Specific Sections in the IPC, e.g., Sections 372 and 373 dealing with selling and buying of girls for the purposes of prostitution. 

UJJWALA – a comprehensive scheme for prevention of trafficking, rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration and repatriation of the victims of commercial sexual exploitation has been launched on 04.12.2007 by the Ministry of women and Child Development to mitigate the cases of trafficking, yet the number of trafficking in India is still high. 

The government needs to identify the vulnerable communities and should spread awareness about the crime. Often the victims of trafficking engage in social activities because they are simply not aware about their exploitation. The government needs to enforce stronger laws to curb this heinous crime against humanity.

- Aneesha Malu 

Content Head