Reincarnation of Slavery: Realities and Experiences of Indian Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking

Abstract

The crime of trafficking in persons needs to be understood as a serious crime and a grave human rights violation. Every year, thousands of men, women, and children fall into the hands of traffickers in either their own countries and/or abroad. As part of its commitment to combat human trafficking (HT), India has ratified various international conventions and enacted its own domestic frameworks. In addition, the efforts of the Government in terms of commitment to the international convention can be seen in terms of the establishment of Anti-trafficking Human Units post-2011. The draft bill of The Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care, and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2021, is still pending in parliament. In this context, a review of the existing efforts to combat trafficking in human beings is essential. The chapter highlights the existing discrepancies and evaluates the lacuna in policy implementation, based on secondary data. The chapter will also highlight the nature and magnitude of HT, along with vulnerability factors.