World Day Against Trafficking In Persons is observed each year on July 30 to draw global attention to the scourge of human trafficking and deliberate of ways which need to be adopted to end this crime. With the pandemic raging like wildfire, there has been an exponential rise in this transnational organized crime putting hundreds and thousands of children and women from the most marginalized and vulnerable sections of society at heightened risk.

Human trafficking has now emerged as a significant problem all over the world and is the third largest international criminal enterprise, generating an estimated $150 billion dollars annually (ILO, 2014).

Since the first lockdown, the Satyarthi Movement has collaborated with law-enforcement agencies to rescue approximately 9,000 children which has led to the arrest of 302 traffickers from trains, buses and factories from across the entire country. Children have thus become the biggest victim of the pandemic with the trafficking of children rising manifold of late.

The ongoing Monsoon Session of the Parliament proposes to take up the Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021, for deliberation. The Bill aims to “to prevent and counter-trafficking in persons, especially women and children, to provide for care, protection, and rehabilitation to the victims, while respecting their rights, and creating a supportive legal, economic and social environment for them”. The Women and Child Development Ministry had has invited suggestions for the draft Bill.

The Anti-Trafficking Bill has increased the scope of the nature of offences of human trafficking, with stricter punishment including life imprisonment and even death penalty in certain cases. The Bill addresses various aspects of trafficking – including prevention, combating the crime including re-trafficking, designating agencies for investigation, special courts for trial, rehabilitation of victims, very effectively and comprehensively and will become a landmark in dealing with this complex crime.

It may be recalled that a previous draft of the Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha in 2018 but wasn’t ever introduced in the Rajya sabha.

Deeply concerned at the rise in cases of trafficking, Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi has written to Members of Parliament and requested them to ensure passage of the proposed Bill in the upcoming session.

The passage of the Bill will be fulfilment of the demand of 12 Lakh Indians who marched across 22 states and 12,000 kms demanding a strong law against trafficking along with Shri Satyarthi in 2017.

National Consultation on the Elimination of Child Trafficking

30 July 2021 |  10 am – 2pm

Conference Videos

BBA's Crackdown On Child Trafficking

Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) has been deploying new methods time and again to enhance the processes of identification and rescue of suspected child labour cases. Through the extensive network of activists present at the ground level across the country, BBA gathers real-time information regarding trafficked children and makes real times moves to protect them from being pushed into a life of exploitation at the hands of traffickers.

Given that COVID-19 gave rise to cases of trafficking, BBA ‘s strategy focused on following three dimensions-

  1. Awareness Generation on the issue of trafficking
  2. Creation of informer’s network to retrieve trafficking information
  3. Collaboration with stakeholders to prevent trafficking
  4. Legal Interventions

About Anti-Trafficking Bill

Fight Against Child Trafficking Milestones

  • 1981

    The first-ever rescue of Sabo, a 15- year-old girl who was to be sold into prostitution (along with 34 other bonded labourers working in a brick kiln in Sirhind, Punjab).

  • 1982

    The Rescue operations became wide and conducted in 10 states in different sectors of 1. stone quarries | 2. brick kilns | 3. carpet industry | 4. glass and bangles factories

  • 1983

    Mr Satyarthi rescued 42 men, women, and children from a brick kiln. Amongst them, Gulabo a 14-year-old died a painful death from deteriorated tuberculosis within days of her rescue. She died in the lap of Mr Kailash Satyarthi. Gulabo’s death intensified Mr Satyarthi’s crusade against child labour and slavery.

    Since then; direct action and rescue operations became a strategy for Bachpan Bachao Andolan. The rescue operations were conducted in various parts of the country and various industries like carpet, glass, bangles, stone quarries, brick klin zari, Slate and Pencil etc. These rescue operations uncovered the reality of bonded labour, child labour, trafficking for forced labour in the supply chain.

  • 1984

    Carpet industry 

    Bachpan Bachao Andolan began its fight against child labour in the carpet industry in India whereby public awareness campaigns were started in Mirzapur, Bhadohi, Banaras and Allahabad

  • 1993

    Awareness campaigns were launched in Europe and the United States of America against the use of child labour in the carpet industry.

  • 1994

    Bachpan Bachao Andolan organized the ‘Bharat Yatra’ - a 5,000 Kms long march against child labour. The march started from Kanyakumari and culminated in Delhi. RUGMARK was launched

  • 1995

    “South Asian March against Child Labor and Trafficking” launched from Kolkata to Kathmandu. This was the first march on the issue of cross border trafficking.

  • 1998

    80,000 km, 103 countries, and 7.2 million children, women, and men as participants! Yes! This was a year of historic Global March Against Child labor. With the demand to put an international ban on worst forms of child labor, the march began on 17th January 1998 and culminated at ILO office, Geneva on 1st June 1998, thereafter 12th June was declared as “World Day against Child Labor” by ILO.

     

    ILO adopted Convention 182 on worst forms of child labor – a direct impact of the Global March against Child Labor undertaken in 1998

     

    Launch of “Mukti Caravan” at Rajghat, Delhi a mobile grassroots campaign against trafficking to demand an international law against child labour. After launch, the caravan began its journey in the trafficking prone source areas of Bihar. Till today the survivor leasers are working in the source area of trafficking to spread awareness and also collect a database of traffickers. Mukti Caravan has ridden More than 10 lakh kilometres and states covered Bihar, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai Nepal.

  • 2002

    Campaign to ban child trafficking and employment of child labour in circuses in India.

  • 2003

    An MOU was signed between BBA and Indian Circus Industry to stop employment and exploitation of children in the circus.

  • 2004

    Mr Kailash Satyarthi with some activists brutally attacked during a raid in karnalgunj Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh while rescuing trafficked Nepalese girls from a circus

  • 2006

    Bachpan Bachao Andolan’s sustained campaign and advocacy led to banning of domestic child labor on 10th October 2006 by the Central Government. (Ref- Ins. Sr. 14 & 15 in Part A by Notification No. S.O. 1742 (E) dated 10 October 2006 published in the Gazette of India.)

  • 2007

    Launched the second South Asian March from Kolkata Kathmandu-Delhi against child trafficking. The march started on 25 Feb 2007 at Kolkata and culminated on 22 March 2007 in Delhi- a 5000 km long march joined by 1 million people.

     

    Bachpan Bachao Andolan assisted the Government of India in the preparation of the Standard Operating Procedure for Investigation of trafficking for forced labour. 

  • 2009

    Landmark Judgement by Delhi High Court in ‘Save the Childhood Vs Union of India’ laid down specific roles and responsibilities of Government departments for comprehensive legal action against child labour.

  • 2010

    Bachpan Bachao Andolan’s petition, Delhi High Court gave a landmark direction on the trafficking of girls for domestic labour and placement agency.

  • 2011

    A landmark, Judgment prohibiting the employment of children in circuses of India was delivered on 18th April 2011 in the writ petition (C) No. 56 of 2006, Bachpan Bachao Andolan Vs Union of India.

    Bachpan Bachao Andolan launched first of its kind research report on “Missing Children of India.

  • 2012

    Organized a march against child labour and trafficking in the northeast from Guwahati to Dhubri in partnership with NALSA. Hon’ble Chief Justice of India Shri Altamas Kabir flagged off the march on 08th December 2012.

  • 2013

    Hon’ble Supreme Court of India gave a landmark judgment on missing children in a PIL filed by Bachpan Bachao Andolan ( WP (C) No 75 of 2012 Bachpan Bachao Andolan Vs. Union of India and Ors). The Court directed that in case of every missing child reported; there will be an initial presumption of either abduction or trafficking, unless, in the investigation, the same is proved otherwise.

    Bachpan Bachao Andolan gave suggestions to the Justice Verma Committee on defining human trafficking, which resulted in the inclusion of sections 370 and 370A to address trafficking of persons in the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 2013.

  • 2016

    Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourer revised. The revised Scheme shall be a Central Sector Scheme and shall come into effect from 17th May 2016. For special category beneficiaries such as children including orphans or those rescued from organised and forced begging rings or other forms of forced child labour. and women. the amount of rehabilitation assistance shall be {2 lakhs out of which at least 1,25,000/- shall be deposited in an annuity scheme in the name of each beneficiary and the balance amount shall be transferred to the beneficiary account through ECS.

  • 2019

    Supreme Court takes cognizance of high pendency in POCSO cases and on its direction; Government launched a “Scheme on Fast Track Special Courts for Expeditious Disposal of Cases of Rape and POCSO Act”

  • 2020-21

    During the time of pandemic our team was conducting awareness and training on the issue of child labour and trafficking. When the lockdown opened the team with various government agencies rescued more than 11,000 children from trafficking and forced labour. 

  • 2021

    Bachpan Bachao Andolan has rescued more than 1 lakh children from trafficking, forced labour and child abuse.

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