THE plight of thousands of children in India who’ve been trafficked for cheap labour, forced marriage, the sex trade and organ harvesting is being highlighted as part of a new appeal.
The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) has launched a project in India in cooperation with Caritas India, raising awareness of human trafficking and how families in poor communities can avoid falling prey to it.
It will help poor families to earn an income so they’re less vulnerable, and will involve working with border guards to set up interception points on the border with Nepal and working with police and others to rescue children when possible.
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Trafficking is one of the fastest growing illegal trades, with figures released by the European Parliament last year revealing that more than 20 million people living today have been trafficked worldwide. It generates a profit of more than one billion pounds a year.
In India alone, around 20,000 people were trafficked last year, including 10,000 children.
Grinding poverty, a lack of education and opportunities, war and political instability are some of the key drivers that contribute to people becoming vulnerable to trafficking and modern slavery.
SCIAF’s communications manager Val Morgan, who travelled to India recently to see the project, said: “Child trafficking is destroying lives. Right now in India, thousands of children are being bought and sold – forced to work long hours in dangerous conditions with little or no pay, no rights and often violently beaten and sexually abused.
“Every child has the right to love, safety, an education and a future of hope. We can all do something to help these vulnerable children.
“We’re going to be raising awareness of the problem and how to avoid falling prey to traffickers in villages along the border between India and Nepal where an estimated 43 per cent of cases pass through.
“We’ll be training and helping poor families to grow food and earn an income so they’re less likely to fall prey to traffickers’ lies, and work with the police and others to identify trafficked children.
“We’re also going to be helping to set up interception booths along the border to help identify trafficked children wherever we can.”
Many poor communities targeted by child traffickers are unaware of the fact that they or their loved ones have been sold, sometimes even years after it has happened.
In India, traffickers are often known to families who are deceived into believing their children will be given an education and brighter future.
Organisations working with SCIAF on the child trafficking project include Caritas India, Childline 1908 and Night and Day, as well as vulnerable children and families.
Morgan added: “An important part of the project involves setting up interception booths at key points along the border with Nepal, publicising the government-funded Childline free national telephone number that children and parents can call if they need help, and working with police, railway and bus station workers, rickshaw drivers and community leaders to identify and rescue children whenever possible. The human cost of this callous trade cannot be understated.”
To support SCIAF in India and around the world, you can visit www.sciaf.org.uk/donate or call 0141 354 5555.
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