India, with around 8 million people living as victims of human trafficking, is among the top ten countries with the largest estimated absolute number of people in modern slavery. Vihaan has been a vigilant partner of the state in the rescue of victims of human trafficking and other forms of abuse and exploitation. Since inception, we have rescued 4,882 victims of trafficking from destination points across India and moved them to safety. The COVID-19 crisis has further brought unprecedented challenges for millions of people around the world. Studies reported that with growing poverty thousands of people, especially children and young girls became vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and trafficking across the globe. With the rural economy having suffered due to the shutdown of all economic activities, there has also been an increase in the repatriated victims’ re-trafficking from the source areas. To respond to this urgent need, the primary objective of this programme is to remove at least 30 victims of human trafficking and child sexual abuse from the clutches of abuse and exploitation in collaboration with the law enforcement agencies and facilitate their safety and protection. 

Objective

To remove victims from situations of human trafficking and other forms of abuse & exploitation to safe and secure space facilitating their development to the fullest potential

Details

The Rescue process is defined at three levels – Pre-rescue, Rescue and Post Rescue. 

Pre-Rescue

At the pre-rescue stage, information is collected from the field by case workers about possible situations of human trafficking, sexual abuse and exploitation. The information is then discussed internally with the multi-disciplinary team including the case workers, social workers, counsellors and the legal team. Then, the information is shared with the police to plan for a rescue operation. 

Rescue

The police along with the Vihaan team comprising of social workers, counsellors and the legal team reach the spot of rescue. Once the victims are rescued, the social workers make sure that the victims are always safe and kept separate from the accused at all times. The survivors are provided food, water, medical support and overnight kit to meet their immediate need. In case of presence of infants, special arrangements are made. In case of any medical emergency the survivor is taken to the hospital for immediate care.

Once the police complete their initial procedures, the survivors are taken to the police station and are accompanied by social workers at all times. The First Information Report (FIR) is registered at the police station. All legal procedures are completed by the legal team. Post the FIR, the statement of the survivors under section 161 CrPC is recorded by the police. Thereafter, the survivors are taken to the hospital for general medical. Once the medicals are completed the survivors are taken to be dropped for safe custody.

Post-Rescue

The post-rescue phase usually includes up to three days after the rescue. During this time, the rescued survivors are sent by the police for overnight protective stay in a children home /Child care institutions/ Aftercare Homes as a place of safety. This is ordinarily a Government Child Care Institution (for minor survivors) or Government Aftercare homes /State home for Women/ Swadhaar Home (for majors). The survivors are produced before Child Welfare Committee, if minors and if majors, before the Magistrate within 24 hours from the rescue. The social workers and counsellors visit the shelter homes to help victims cope with the initial trauma and assess their mental and emotional status for signs of self-harm. 

During the production, if victims/guardians wish, they can take legal support by signing the vakalatnama. Post the production, based on the orders passed by the concerned Judicial authority, Vihaan provides long-term care and support to the victims placed in shelter homes. 

About Project Locations

West Bengal being a source, transit and destination for trafficking, has always witnessed a high number of trafficked victims from across domestic and international borders. According to the NCRB, West Bengal accounted for 25% of India’s trafficking cases between 2010 and 2016. In 2018, West Bengal reported the second-highest number of children being trafficked at 8,205. Kolkata and South 24 Parganas accounted for 60 per cent burden of the total cases. 

Delhi is primarily a destination for trafficked victims from different parts of the country as well as abroad. Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal are the primary source areas. Children and young girls are trafficked here for prostitution, forced marriages and domestic servitude. According to the NCRB, Delhi registered a total of 608 cases of human trafficking in 2019. It had the second highest number of trafficked minors at 536. From 2017 to 2019, Delhi reported the second-most cases of trafficking of minors among the states and Union Territories (UTs). 

According to the CID, there has been a steady increase in the cases of child trafficking in Karnataka over the years since 2014. Karnataka is primarily a destination point victims of trafficking for prostitution, bonded labour and domestic work. While 70% of its victims are from within the country, 30% of them are from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Central Asian countries.

Kishanganj in Bihar, on the other hand, is one of the most vulnerable districts, often referred to as a hotspot for cross border trafficking. It is a flood prone district which shares a porous border with Bangladesh and Nepal. There is large scale prevalence of seasonal migration in search of livelihood. Illiteracy among this marginalised group is common, leaving the community easily gullible to the evil schemes of the traffickers who find it very easy to lure the children. The caste system is yet another factor that leaves these people who are at the lowest strata of society vulnerable to be exploited at the hands of those with power and authority. Customary social practices condone child marriages and early marriage among the young girls. Many of these marriages are arranged by agents or middlemen who lure the families by giving them a token bride amount.