RECOVERING CHILDHOODS COMBATING CHILD TRAFFICKING IN NORTHERN INDIA OCTOBER 2005 FREE THE SLAVES RECOVERING CHILDHOODS Combating Child Trafficking in Northern India October 2005 Free the Slaves Washington, D.C., United States • [email protected] Delhi, India • [email protected] Currency Equivalents. ........................................................................................................................ vi Abbreviations. .....................................................................................................................................vii Hindi words. .......................................................................................................................................viii Executive Summary. ............................................................................................................................. 1 1. Focus and methods of the research. ................................................................................................... 2 2. The socio-economic context in source communities. ......................................................................... 2 3. Trafficking patterns and public awareness. ....................................................................................... 3 4. The Legal Context. ..............................................................................................................................4 5. Institutional Context. ..........................................................................................................................6 6. Law Enforcement–Identification and Investigation. .......................................................................... 6 7. Law Enforcement–Prosecution. ..........................................................................................................7 8. Rehabilitation and Reintegration. ......................................................................................................7 9. Successes in Combating Child Trafficking. ........................................................................................8 Chapter 1 - Introduction. ......................................................................................................................9 1. Scope and intention of this study. .......................................................................................................9 2. Methods of research. .......................................................................................................................... 9 3. The overall picture. .............................................................................................................................9 4. Definitions. .......................................................................................................................................11 Chapter 2 - The Socio-Economic Context. ........................................................................................15 1. Land distribution, landlords and loans. ...........................................................................................15 2. Economic subsistence. ......................................................................................................................17 3. Food and its distribution. .................................................................................................................18 4. Migration patterns. ...........................................................................................................................19 5. Education. .........................................................................................................................................20 6. Gender. .............................................................................................................................................21 7. Caste and religion. ........................................................................................................................... 22 8. Globalization. ...................................................................................................................................23 9. Recommendations to reduce socio-economic vulnerability. ............................................................ 23 Chapter 3 - Trafficking Patterns and Public Awareness. .................................................................25 1. Estimates of the extent of the problem. .............................................................................................25 2. Trafficking geographical patterns. ...................................................................................................28 3. Industries using trafficked child labor. ............................................................................................ 32 4. Methods of recruiting children for trafficking. .................................................................................33 5. How trafficked persons are kept and controlled. ..............................................................................34 6. Impact of current anti-trafficking efforts. .........................................................................................36 7. Public and official awareness. ......................................................................................................... 37 8. Recommendations to disrupt trafficking patterns. ........................................................................... 37 Chapter 4 - The Legal Context. ..........................................................................................................39 1. Central Government laws related to trafficking. ..............................................................................39 2. State government laws and administrative orders related to trafficking. ........................................ 45 3. Landmark judicial rulings. ...............................................................................................................46 4. Improvements in laws suggested by respondents. ............................................................................ 46 5. Recommendations to improve federal and state legislation. ............................................................48 Chapter 5 - The Insitutional Context. ................................................................................................49 1. Promoting governmental integrity and equal protection under the law. ......................................... 49 2. Need for sensitizing key officials. .....................................................................................................52 3. Training. ........................................................................................................................................... 53 iv 4. Interagency collaboration................................................................................................................ 54 5. Recommendations to improve the institutional context.................................................................... 57 Chapter 6 - Law Enforcement: Investigation and Identification.................................................... 59 1. Current patterns of reporting........................................................................................................... 59 2. Overcoming barriers to reporting.................................................................................................... 60 3. An anti-trafficking task force............................................................................................................ 64 4. Multiple reporting............................................................................................................................ 64 5. Investigation..................................................................................................................................... 64 6. Recommendations to increase identification and investigation....................................................... 64 Chapter 7 - Law Enforcement: Prosecution..................................................................................... 66 1. Lack of will or interest to enforce trafficking laws........................................................................... 66 2. Selective enforcement of laws........................................................................................................... 66 3. Enforcement officials lack resources................................................................................................ 66 4. Separation between investigation and prosecution.......................................................................... 68 5. Judiciary and prosecutors need updating on trafficking laws and patterns.................................... 69 6. Cases are delayed in prosecution..................................................................................................... 69 7. Witness tampering and obstruction.................................................................................................. 69 8. Low conviction rates........................................................................................................................ 70 9. Recommendations to achieve effective prosecutions........................................................................ 71 Chapter 8 - Rehabilitation and Reintegration.................................................................................