New Delhi: Eight children were trafficked every day in the country in 2021 and were exploited, experts quoted the NCRB report, demanding a strong anti-trafficking law in the light of the worrying trend.
According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau data, a total of 2,189 cases of human trafficking were registered in 2021 as compared to 1,714 in 2020, showing an increase of 27.7 percent.
“A total of 6,533 victims have been reported to be trafficked of which 2,877 are children and 3,656, adults. Apart from this, 6,213 victims have been rescued from the clutches of traffickers,” the report said.
A total of 5,755 persons were arrested in 2,189 cases of trafficking, it added.
The report accounts only for those cases that have been registered by the Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs).
So far 768 AHTUs are functional and 20 states and union territories have achieved their target of setting up these units in all their districts.
Out of 2,189 cases of human trafficking registered by AHTUs in 2021, the highest number of the cases have been registered in Telangana, Maharashtra and Assam with 347, 320 and 203 cases, respectively.
“As per this data, eight children were trafficked every day in the country for different forms of exploitation such as labour, sexual exploitation, begging,” experts said.
Jyoti Mathur, Executive Director at Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation, said the foundation demands the passage of a strong anti-trafficking law in light of the worrying trend of children being trafficked as per Crime in India 2021.
“It is unfortunate that incidence of trafficking increased by 28 percent in 2021 and 44 percent of these victims are children,” Mathur told PTI.
The high number of cases reported in 2021 is just the tip of the iceberg. 77,535 children were reported missing in the same report and if the children who went missing in previous years and continue to be missing are added to this number then the total goes up to 1,21,351, she said.
A majority of these children could be victims of trafficking, she said, adding that since many cases remain unreported, the reality is far more serious and worrisome.
Kaushik Gupta, an advocate in Calcutta High Court said the report clearly states that it comprises only AHTUs registered cases of human trafficking.
“There are many more cases which have not reached the AHTU and hence is not reflected in the report. Therefore, in my opinion, this report is inaccurate and incomplete,” he said.
It also highlights the need of having a law which focuses on trafficking as a whole. The survivors are eagerly waiting for the anti-trafficking bill to be passed by the Parliament at the earliest, he said.
Suresh Kumar, an anti-trafficking activist, said there’s a 28 percent jump in human trafficking cases in the country compared to the last reported cases.
“The conviction rate is only about 1.5 percent. The poor rate of conviction fuels the highly organised crime of human trafficking. Traffickers work with impunity,” he said.
“The country needs a comprehensive victim-centered law to combat human trafficking. The survivor of human trafficking needs long-term support to bounce back in life,” Kumar added.
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