Human trafficking – A grave issue – The Nation

SAAIM AHMAD – Human trafficking has emerged as a grave issue of concern in modern times at both national as well as global levels.

The developing world, including Pakistan, has been a soft target of this menace since long owing to various socio-economic and geographical circumstances. The main culprits of this heinous crime are criminal organizations and networks which take undue advantage of peoples' vulnerable conditions while on the other hand the anti-trafficking measures do not commensurate with the level required to put an end to such gory activities.

The human trafficking has, one may say, in reality assumed the form of modern slavery. It involves transportation of people by force or deception on false promises of employment or free education. Trafficking for forced marriages or prostitution; forced labour (involving children mostly) and debt bondage are other forms of modern slavery, which leave the victims with scars and trauma.

Migrant smuggling is the most visible manifestation of trafficking through which people are facilitated irregular entry into another country. This has assumed a shape of ‘business' wherein the traffic agents exploit the people who are in dire need of employment or look for ways to go abroad for other reasons. Violence, abuse, and exploitation are major traits of this disgusting activity.

Taking its origins from African Slave Trade by American and Europeans, the modern slavery has grabbed the entire world. The current global statistics are nothing short of terrifying, as they show that over 50 million people worldwide were living in modern slavery in 2021, according to the latest Global Estimates of Modern Slavery.

Of these people, 28 million were in forced labour and 22 million were trapped in forced marriage. The number of people in modern slavery has risen significantly in the last five years. 10 million more people were in modern slavery in 2021 compared to 2016 global estimates.

Women and children remain disproportionately vulnerable. The modern slavery occurs in almost every country in the world, and cuts across ethnic, cultural and religious lines. More than half (52 per cent) of all forced labour and a quarter of all forced marriages can be found in upper-middle income or high-income countries. According to the report, migrants are particularly vulnerable to forced labour.

The report proposes a number of recommended actions towards ending modern slavery which include improving and enforcing laws and labour inspections; ending state-imposed forced labour; stronger measures to combat forced labour and trafficking in business and supply chains. It is pertinent to mention here that the first ever international agreement to counter trafficking was signed in 1904.

Although modern slavery has become less extreme due to laws as compared to eras of World War-I, however, much more is needed to be done to end this menace. Pakistan has also been vulnerable to such activities as it possesses land route for traveling to Europe. From Pakistan, Iran is reportedly the first transit point for both human traffickers and intending illegal migrants.

There are around 8 routes that have been established to reach Iran. The most popular one starts from Punjab, reaches Quetta, and then leads to Noshki to Yak Much and then Mashkail, and finally to Iran. The popular international route to reach Europe is from Pakistan to Iran to Turkey and finally Greece.

Owing to socio-political and economic issues, the Pakistan youth tend to illegally migrate to developed countries for employment. Human trafficking for sex and forced labour has also been reported owing to inadequate security checks and other necessary arrangements. The government of Pakistan has been making all out efforts to eradicate this menace from the country.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in collaboration with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) had set up a blueprint on how to halt such crimes, with support from partner organization including the International Organization for Migration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior, Law Enforcement Agencies, and other relevant stakeholders.

The plan included the Country Program III, which aims to strengthen the legal framework to better implement Human Trafficking and Immigrant Smuggling Laws, and the National Action Plan which intend to apprehend criminal organizations which facilitate human trafficking and illegal immigration and also helping and rehabilitating their victims.

There is dire need to intensify these efforts with strengthening of legal framework and its implementation in letter and spirit to rid the society of these social evils and lead it towards progress and prosperity. –The writer is BS Engineering Scholar at NUST and could be reached at saaimahmed05@ gmail.com