“The problem in Central Florida is serious,” Michael Masto, Deputy Special Agent in Charge of the investigation of child slavery and trafficking cases at the Tampa office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, told Efe.

The agent has launched 540 investigations to date in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

Last year 39,000 children were reported missing in Florida, an average of 100 minors a day, according to Joyce Dawley, Orlando regional director of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Federal, state and local agencies are carrying out raids and investigations to hunt down individuals involved in the distribution, reception and possession of child pornography, as well as in the enslavement and exploitation of minors.

One of the most recent cases was the arrest on May 23 in Osceola County of 18-year-old Jonathan Padilla during an undercover operation that began with a search on the Internet and ended at a motel in Kissimmee, where the suspect had taken a girl of 14, reported missing in Tampa, to make her a prostitute.

“No crime is more terrible than trafficking children to force them into prostitution,” Masto said.

With 70 cases tried during fiscal year 2010, the Middle District of Florida, which includes Tampa, Orlando, Ocala, Jacksonville and Fort Myers, is among the worst in the nation for youngsters.

“That district is second in the number of cases (of child pornography, predators and trafficking minors for prostitution) of all the districts in the country,” U.S. Attorney Robert E. O’Neill told Efe.

“Charges in these cases range from conspiracy to transporting minors across state lines for purposes of prostitution and include the production, distribution, reception and possession of pornography,” he said.

And sexual exploitation isn’t the only danger. Youngsters also risk being abducted to perform slave labor, according to Giselle Rodriguez of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking.

“A great deal of emphasis is given to sexual exploitation, but slave labor is also a serious problem for minors in Florida,” Rodriguez said.

A recent example is the case of Sophia Manuel and Alfonso Maldonado Jr., owners of Quality Staffing Services Corporation, who last December were sentenced to jail for keeping 39 Filipinos, some as young as 14, working in clubs and hotels in southwest Florida, according to the Justice Department.

ICE carried out 625 investigations into the exploitation of minors during fiscal year 2010, resulting in 300 arrests, 151 indictments and 144 convictions, spokesperson Danielle Bennett told Efe. In one of those cases, 36-year-old Mexican national Amador Cortes-Meza, head of a people-trafficking organization between the United States and Mexico, has just been sentenced to 40 years behind bars for the abuse and the sexual enslavement of minors in Georgia, she said.

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On Sunday, Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times ran “Where Pimps Peddle Their Goods.”  Kristof interviewed a 17-year-old who was commonly sold on Backpage and wrote, “After Alissa testified against her pimps, six of them went to prison for up to 25 years. Yet these days, she reserves her greatest anger not at pimps but at companies that enable them. She is particularly scathing about Backpage.com, a classified advertising website that is used to sell auto parts, furniture, boats — and girls. Alissa says pimps routinely peddled her on Backpage.”

Backpage.com is the leading U.S. website for prostitution advertising. Recent reports from the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) found more than 50 instances nationwide of charges filed against people trafficking minors on Backpage.com. The Bureau of Justice Statistics found that 40 percent of incidents investigated by federally funded task forces on human trafficking between 2008 and 2012 involved sexual exploitation of a child. Similar classified advertising websites, such as Craigslist.com, have taken down their adult services ads after being petitioned to eliminate the section. Backpage continues to ignore the evidence, putting profit above children’s safety.

The lawmakers join 51 Attorneys General and more than 90,000 Americans who signed a petition in urging Backpage.com to remove the adult services section.

“Nothing should stop us from protecting victims of child prostitution and trafficking,” said a spokesperson for Senator Kirk. “The ‘profit first’ mentality at Backpage and their parent company, Village Voice Media, continue to prioritize the rights of pimps, not kids.  Citizens are disgusted to learn how often children are being used as prostitutes in their own backyard and we will not rest until children are no longer victimized by this website.”

“Backpage should immediately shut down the adult services section of its website, and end its enabling of prostitution and human trafficking, just as Craigslist did at my urging,” said Senator Blumenthal.  ”For too long, countless girls have been victims of prostitution, human trafficking, and horrendous violence through Backpage.com ads. Unconscionably, Backpage continues to allow adult services advertising on their website, knowing that these advertisements are an avenue for horrific violence against women and children.”

“Sex trafficking is a horrendous practice that must be stopped in our own communities and around the world,” said Senator Rubio. “Backpage.com and its parent company Village Voice Media are making money off the sexual exploitation of children through sex trafficking. We simply can’t continue to turn a blind eye to this practice.”

Senator Begich said, “If closing down Backpage, which accounts for 70% prostitution advertising, can save hundreds of girls, there is no reason not to call for its swift demise immediately.  It may not end the violent and horrific practice of trafficking entirely, but it is a positive and necessary step forward in keeping young people safe from the victimization and abuse of prostitution.”

The NAAG letter to Backpage can be found here.

“Today’s powerful message from distinguished members of the United States Senate again demonstrates that Americans, regardless of political party or religious preference, find common cause in the fight against human trafficking,” said Washington State Attorney General, president of the National Association of Attorneys General. “A company that is profiting from the sale of human beings–including minors–and that is leveraging a once-respectable media operation in defense of that business, finds itself in conflict with a compassionate nation. We hope Village Voice changes course and finally does the right thing.”  Washington State Attorney General McKenna’s speech on Backpage to the NAAG can be found here.

The full text of the Senate letter to Backpage is below:

Mr. Jim Larkin

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Village Voice Media Holdings, LLC

1201 E. Jefferson St.

Phoenix, AZ 85034

Dear Mr. Larkin:

Our founding fathers guaranteed the freedom of expression in the United States Constitution, and as U.S. Senators, we work hard to defend this fundamental American value. However, the First Amendment has clear limitations – it does not extend to child pornography and it does not extend to the sexual exploitation of minors on the Internet.

Experts estimate that 300,000 children are at risk of commercial sexual exploitation in the United States, and that girls and boys are forced into prostitution at the average ages of 12 to 14 and 11 to 13, respectively. A chilling report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that 40 percent of incidents investigated by federally funded task forces on human trafficking between 2008 and 2010 involved the sexual exploitation of a child. Unfortunately, these numbers only continue to rise.

We believe, as the leading U.S. website for prostitution advertising, Backpage.com can create a significant impact on this appalling industry by shutting off a major source of advertising for these practices – the adult services section of the website.

We are greatly alarmed by the increasing news reports of pimps and traffickers using Backpage.com to advertise sexual services by minors. The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) found more than 50 instances nationwide of charges filed against people trafficking or attempting to traffic minors on Backpage.com. Recent child prostitution cases involving Backpage.com include:

Myrelle and Tyrelle Lockett, pled guilty to trafficking of persons for forced labor or services in February 2011 for prostituting multiple Chicago area girls, including at least one who was underage. The girls were advertised on Backpage.com with rates as high as $300 per hour.

Kendel Morell, charged with human trafficking, rape and sexual exploitation of a child in October 2011 for forcing a 17-year-old Albuquerque girl into prostitution on Backpage.com.

Demetrius Darnell Homer, convicted of sex trafficking of a minor and sentenced to 20 years in prison in August 2011 for violently forcing a 14-year-old Atlanta girl into prostitution and posting her services on Backpage.com. Homer kept the girl in line through beatings, threatening her with a knife, and on one occasion, shocking her with a taser in front of another underage girl he had placed in prostitution. Homer even forced the girl to engage in prostitution while she was pregnant with his child.

Akmal S. Karon, a Minnesota man, charged with eight counts of child prostitution for pimping two underage girls and keeping them in line using rape and extreme violence. One girl, who first began working as a prostitute for Karon at 15, told police that Karon raped her, punched her in the face, repeatedly kicked her, burned her hand with a cigar, and once hit her in the head with a Snapple bottle when she did not earn enough money. Karon picked up the other girl outside her home just a few days before her 14th birthday. He raped and beat her the following day at a motel, and then held her captive for over a week, forcing her to work for him as a prostitute. Karon advertised both girls on Backpage.com.

We understand your company continues to ensure the public that employees are working closely to monitor the website, claiming to remove 400 ads that market the sexual exploitation of minors every month through a manual review process. But according to field experts and law enforcement authorities, these actions pale in comparison to the illegal activity facilitated via the website. NAAG maintains that the number of postings for prostitution services has not appeared to decrease since the issue was first raised with Village Voice Media. It took only minutes on Backpage.com’s adult services section for us to find posts that present clear advertisements for prostitution of young girls.

It is clear from the increasing child trafficking cases linked to the website that the company is unable or unwilling to keep up with the sheer volume of these ads that garner an annual estimated profit of $24 million. There is only one option to keep our children safe from exploitation on your advertising network – shut down the adult services section of Backpage.com.

We echo the sentiments of 51 Attorneys General, dozens of human rights and sexual assault organizations, The Seattle Times, faith leaders, and more than 90,000 Americans who signed a petition on this issue, and urge you in the strongest terms possible to follow Craigslist and remove the adult services section from Backpage.com.

We look forward to your swift response.

Sincerely,

Source: kirk.senate.gov

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Recently I opened up the NY Times web page to see Nicholas D. Kristoff’s piece “Where Pimps Peddle Their Goods” which speaks to how Village Voice Media accepts advertising on their websites which offers lightly veiled solicitations for the services of “escorts” and the like, both male and female. The reality is that this is unvarnished advertising by pimps who have exerted control over individuals whom they force to prostitute themselves.

In reading Kristoff’s piece, I was particularly taken back by this portion, “Liz McDougall, general counsel of Village Voice Media, told me that it is “shortsighted, ill-informed and counterproductive” to focus on Backpage when many other Web sites are also involved, particularly because Backpage tries to screen out ads for minors and reports possible trafficking cases to the authorities. McDougall denied that Backpage dominates the field and said that the Long Island girl was marketed on 13 other Web sites as well. But if street pimps go to jail for profiteering on under-age girls, should their media partners like Village Voice Media really get a pass?”

The Village Voice Media statement concludes with their position: “The inevitable conclusion is that censorship will not rid the world of exploitation.”

I find their response repugnant and reminiscent of ostrich like behavior. I do not believe shuttering Backpage’s adult advertisements as censorship – it is removing an avenue which acts as an enabler for the human trafficking and sex trafficking of men and women. It is closing off an ability by pimps to continue the exploitation of individuals who, as detailed in Kristoff’s piece, are controlled through force and intimidation. I do, however, agree social networks and technology can assist in the identification of those who try to use the advertising medium to offer the services of victims.

The National Association of Attorney’s General formed the Pillars of Hope initiative. The four pillars are:

• Pillar 1: Making the case
• Pillar 2: Hold the traffickers accountable
• Pillar 3: Mobilizing communities to care for victims
• Pillar 4: Public awareness and issue advocacy

For those who think prostitution is a victim-less crime, I encourage you to read Kristoff’s piece and also read “Off the Street” (review) which details the take down of a pimp and rescue of his victims in Las Vegas. Is Village Voice Media the only entity needing addressing, no their statement clearly indicates that they were accompanied by 13 other entities in accepting the advertising.

What can you do right now? Take action of your own. Write to the Chairman & Chief Executive officer of Village Voice Media directly -> Jim Larkin

For original post visit Business2Community.

New York, NY (PRWEB) March 23, 2012

Top corporations gave the fight to eradicating human trafficking a boost on Friday. During a luncheon co-organized by End Human Trafficking Now (EHTN) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the “new champions” agreed that combating human trafficking was not only a moral issue, but a win-win situation for businesses all round.

The luncheon, entitled “Ending Human Trafficking is Smart Business”, was an opportunity for EHTN to introduce itself to a new audience, as an organization created by businesses for businesses. From Google to Exxon, participants from a wide business spectrum shared best practices and discussed how to move forward with the ethical value as an inherent part of their companies’ corporate culture.

“Our aim is to jointly look for solutions to eliminate human trafficking, and share good practices and lessons learnt,” said David Arkless, President EHTN Board, and President Government & Corporate Affairs, ManpowerGroup. “We understand the challenges businesses face in tackling this complex issue, and know that it is not a one shot affair but a work in progress. It can often take years.”

The luncheon was held under the auspices of the President of the United Nations General Assembly, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, one of the main supporters of the UN Voluntary Trust Fund and a long-time advocate of the fight against trafficking.

“What is unavoidable is that economic pressure caused by the financial crisis will continue to fuel the problem of trafficking even further,” said Mr. Abdulaziz Al-Nasser. “Businesses that operate under strict ethical rules are safer and more sustainable compared to those afflicted by trafficking and related abuses.”

The meeting kept up its proactive spirit and closed with the announcement of the next Business Leader’s Award ceremony, in Los Angeles, California, in December.

EHTN was among the first to not only bring the issue of human trafficking to the world community and mobilize the private sector in its entirety, but to also push for the adoption of the Athens Ethical Principles – a zero-tolerance commitment to tackle this crime. Together with UNODC, it has accelerated its reach with the corporate world to take the lead in addressing this problem since ethical business practice has proven to contribute to sustainable profits and economic advantage.

About End Human Trafficking Now
End Human Trafficking Now (EHTN) is the first worldwide initiative to engage the private sector in anti-trafficking efforts, with voluntary contributions by corporations for specific activities. Whilst striving to put an end to human trafficking altogether, EHTN seeks to integrate the business community into the solution of ending this illicit trade – enforcing its vision of zero tolerance to human trafficking. EHTN was created in 2006, and is an independent international association officially registered under Swiss Law.

For original post visit PRWeb.

Scott Whelan, of the USCIS’s office of policy and strategy, detailed the various options available to help immigrants:

• T visas – These visas allow victims of all types of trafficking — forced labor, sexual or involuntary servitude — to stay and work in the United States on a temporary basis. The T nonimmigrant visa is valid for four years and a visa holder may be eligible to apply for permanent residence (Green Card) after three years in T nonimmigrant visa status.
• U visas – These visas are available for victims of abuse and other crimes. Immigrants who suffer from domestic violence can apply for legal status without having to apply based on their relationship to an abusive spouse. U nonimmigrant status cannot exceed four years. However, extensions can be made in special circumstances or eligible individuals can apply for another US visa.

“There are avenues for them to come forward,” said Lynn Boudreau, USCIS’s assistant center director for the Vermont Service Center. She noted that US immigration issues 10,000 U visas each fiscal year and 5,000 T visas. The U visas are usually all issued, which means some cases are carried over to the next year, although the T visas are underused.

In 2011, only 967 victims applied for the T visas and 557 were approved, along with 722 of their family members, far less than the cap allowed for. In order to qualify for a T visa, a victim must be willing to work with law enforcement in the investigation or prosecution of a case. Victims under 18 don’t have to comply, and those found to be too traumatized by the crime are granted exceptions.

Andrea Quarantillo, district director of USCIS for New York City noted that even if requests for visas are eventually denied, USCIS does not immediately begin deportation of the immigrant. The department also works closely with judges and the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement if a crime victim is going through the process of applying for a T or U visa.

Julie Dinnerstein, a professor of immigration law, said it is hard to quantify how widespread the problem of human trafficking is in the city because there are many obstacles to enforcement. She added that trafficking victims can come to the US through various avenues, including tourist or student visas, through a marriage to a US citizen, through a family who are permanent residents or through smuggling.

If you would like to apply for a US visa, WorkPermit.com can help. WorkPermit.com is a specialist visa consultancy with over twenty years of experience dealing with visa applications. We can help with a wide range of visa applications to your country of choice. Please feel free to contact us for further details.

NASSAU, Bahamas, CMC – The Bahamas has warned that it will deal harshly with anyone found engaged in human trafficking even as officials here said there has been no report of trafficking in persons here.

But National Security Minister OAT “Tommy” Turnquest said that women and girls were  “disproportionately represented” among the millions of people who are victims of international human smuggling operations that have generated a billion dollar industry.

Turnquest said while no victim of trafficking in persons has been identified in The Bahamas “to date”, law enforcement and national security officials are putting in place the necessary mechanisms designed to prosecute persons guilty of committing those crimes when they are found.

“Even as we take action to meet our trafficking in persons obligations, we are mindful of the compelling challenges we face in the area,” Turnquest said as he addressed a three-day Trafficking in Persons workshop conducted by the United States Embassy, here.

Turnquest said The Bahamas has traditionally been, and continues to be, a target for significant illegal immigration.

“We are mindful, however, that in significant migratory flows there may very well be actual or potential victims of trafficking in persons and we do not underestimate this possibility.

“To cause people to work under inhumane conditions, in fear, and without due compensation is a fundamental violation of human rights. The destructive effects on the lives of victims of human trafficking are self evident,” Turnquest added.

The National Security Minister said the Bahamas government has undertaken a “whole system” approach to training and capacity building within the country’s law enforcement, national security and public service sectors, in addition to non-governmental agencies and organisations.

“The government of The Bahamas is cognisant that this is an area in which we can work in sealed compartments. Our approach is intended to make certain that officials of concerned ministries and agencies, and representatives of civil society, appreciate the full range of activities involved in successfully preventing, suppressing and punishing persons involved (in the business) of trafficking in persons.

“Importantly, it is to make certain that all are aware of the role that they must play in relation to the other so that our anti-trafficking initiatives are coherent and have the desired impact,” he added.

Turnquest said Cabinet established an inter-Ministry of Trafficking in Persons in 2011 and the committee continues to make “good progress” in their mandate to recommend action to strengthen the country’s anti-trafficking initiatives.

“Just two days ago, the TIP Committee – together with the Women’s Advisory Council and the Bureau of Women’s Affairs of the Ministry of Labour and Social Development held a Public Forum on trafficking in Persons to raise awareness of this critical matter,” Turnquest added.

For original post go to Antigua Observer.

An Israeli man has been charged with participation in a human trafficking ring that captured and tortured African migrants in Egypt’s neighboring Sinai desert, according to an indictment released Sunday.

The indictment said the accused _ a Bedouin from the Negev desert in southern Israel _ extorted tens of thousands of dollars from Eritrean and Sudanese migrants in Israel whose relatives were being held by smugglers in Sinai.

The charge sheet said that over the past nine months, the suspect collected ransoms of up to $40,000 each for dozens of captives held by nomadic Bedouin tribesmen in the Sinai.

The Bedouin were supposed to smuggle them over the border into Israel. According to the indictment, the traffickers threatened to kill the captives or remove their kidneys for sale if their relatives in Israel didn’t pay up.

Some 50,000 Africans have entered Israel in recent years, fleeing conflict and poverty in search of safety and jobs in the relatively prosperous Jewish state. They need the smugglers’ help to navigate the rugged Sinai desert, reach Israel’s border and sneak across.

African migrants in Israel have reported being tortured by the smugglers, despite promises to get them into Israel. Other Africans say smugglers gang-raped migrants, electrocuted them, kept them in the desert sun, deprived them of food and shackled them together.

The Sinai has become increasingly lawless since Egypt’s longtime President Hosni Mubarak was toppled last year.

Israel is building an electronic barrier along the 230-kilometer (150-mile) border with Egypt to keep out militants and migrants.

For many years, smugglers ran a lucrative trade, but with Israel rushing to seal the border, smugglers are raising their prices as migrants race to reach Israel before it’s too late.

Israel’s Interior Ministry says between 1,500 and 2,000 Africans now enter Israel each month, most of them from war-torn Sudan and Eritrea.

Israel doesn’t deport many because their countries’ human rights records are poor, but most are not granted official status. Recently the government moved to deport some migrants from South Sudan because their country has achieved independence.

WASHINGTON, March 25, 2012—Law enforcement officials across the U.S. agree that sex trafficking in massage parlors continues despite efforts to curb the practice. However, the recent success against the sex trade in massage parlors in Georgia demonstrates that there may be a path to combat the crime without employing extensive manpower.

The case of Macon city, Georgia, demonstrates that stringent law helps local law enforcement stomp out sex trafficking in Asian massage parlors. The new ordinance mandates that massage parlors in the city have a business license, and requires that massage parlor owners disclose previous criminal convictions and submit to a background investigation before opening a business in the city. It also requires all masseuses to possess a license to perform therapeutic massages.

Before the new legislation, Macon city was a perfect spot for sex trafficking in massage parlors. Atlanta, one of the biggest hubs of sex trafficking in the country, is only 100 miles from Macon, Georgia. Because of its close proximity to the highway, the city attracts truck drivers and johns on business trips who stop to exploit sex-workers in Macon. Prior to the new regulation, the city had around 15 Asian massage parlors offering sexual services.

Macon’s new ordinance also empowers the local police, giving them a tool to catch the predators. Instead of having to rely on intense undercover sting operations, which require prolonged investigations, local police now have the authority to perform random inspections in the parlors to fight sex trafficking and prostitution.

Warner-Robins, another small city near Atlanta, Georgia, also retains a strict law against massage parlor prostitution. Since 1976, the city has forbidden any adult entertainment business owners who have committed a misdemeanor, including prostitution, from obtaining permits and licenses to practice for two years.

The city requires that all employees dress modestly and that all customers have their genitals covered during the massage session. Also, it holds owners accountable for adhering to the regulations. The law requires that owners ensure that their employees do not come into contact with the genitals of customers. In the event of a violation, both employer and masseuse are subject to license or permit revocation for two years.

The regulation grants the local police authority to perform random inspections at any time during business operation hours.

Prior to the new ordinance, Macon City was a hub of massage parlor prostitution and sex trafficking. In 2008, police arrested over 20 people at eight different businesses operating as massage parlors. The police said that the charges included “keeping a house of prostitution, masturbation for hire, solicitation of prostitution and simple prostitution.”

During the operation, police found two women who they believed to be trafficking victims. One of the victims was held under debt bondage to pay off fees to human traffickers who smuggled her from her home country to the United States. Traffickers also forced her into prostitution in various massage parlors throughout the East Coast. Another woman disappeared after police released her from custody.

Research shows that the new legislation reduced the rampant prostitution and sex trafficking in massage parlors. Since the new legislation took effect, The Telegraph, a local news media in Macon, reported in 2010 that four out of twelve massage parlor raided in 2008 were either out of business or moved elsewhere. The storefronts remained empty in 2010. Two of them continue to operate but do not advertise massage services according to the Telegraph.

Critics argue that the strict laws in Macon and Warner-Robins did not necessarily end massage-parlor prostitution and sex trafficking in the area. Three of the twelve businesses raided in 2008 continued to advertise massages in 2010. In 2010, two of these businesses also had their employees arrested for prostitution-related charges.

Warner-Robins city currently retains six businesses advertised as Asian spas or chiropractic businesses, but no erotic massage parlors openly advertise in the area.

In areas without tough legislation, rampant sex trafficking in massage parlors continues.  In Los Angeles, California, lax regulation has led to spikes in prostitution and sex trafficking in massage parlors in the city.

Since 2009, California state law created “voluntary state certification for massage therapists.” Though the city regulation classifies massage parlors as adult entertainment, licensed therapists do not have to apply for police permits, which would require them to submit to background checks and fingerprinting by the local law enforcement.

To make matters worse, Los Angeles permits another loophole by failing to require massage parlor owners to show their state certification at all times. Currently, Los Angeles has 95 erotic massage parlors openly operating as brothels.

Macon and Warner-Robins have come a long way to fight the crime. Still, the authorities must close remaining loopholes in the legislation. They should crack down not only on massage parlors, but also on other businesses used by traffickers, such as acupuncture clinics and spas. Asset forfeiture from traffickers or facilitators to assist victims is also vital to forbid re-victimization of young women in the brothels.

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KARACHI - Sindh has recorded a sharp increase in reported cases of human trafficking since the beginning of the year, and the trend could continue unless the authorities take action to contain it, say activists.
Some 190 cases have been reported in the province in the first two months of 2012, according to Zia Ahmed Awan, chairperson of Madadgaar Helpline, an NGO helping women and child victims of abuse and trafficking. In 2011, the NGO recorded 288 cases.
Families receive a payment for allowing their children to be trafficked: Traffickers pick up women and children from villages with the promise of getting them jobs in cities. However, once a certain amount has been paid to the family, the traffickers exploit the woman or child, often treating them as little more than slaves. .
“Most of the victims are from Bangladesh and Afghanistan, where poverty and strife have made it difficult for people to meet their basic needs,” Awan said. “Combine this with illiteracy and unemployment, and you will have people willing to sell their children.” (he is talking about the reported cases here)
She urged the Pakistani government to devote more resources to fighting trafficking and drafting new legislation to ban it.
Talking to IRIN, an official of the Ministry of Human Rights in Sindh blamed poverty. “Poverty forces people to give away their children,” said the official who requested anonymity. “In big cities like Karachi, Hyderabad, Larkana you will find kids as young as five being employed as servants. The constitution grants protection to minors but sadly no one is willing to take up this matter.”
After the floods in 2010 and 2011, poverty increased in Sindh and many families dependent on farming had no other option but to send their children to bigger cities, say aid workers.
“How do you curb human trafficking and bondage when some of the most influential figures – even those in the women ministry, human rights and child protection committees – have young children as servants?” asked a social worker in Sindh who only identified herself as Aswa.
“A child of seven or eight years is available 24/7 to clean your house, carry your groceries and do other chores, for Rs 1,000 a month,” she said. “For the same amount of work an adult servant would easily charge Rs 4,000 a month. Most people carry out the worst possible abuse of these children and if the child runs away, false cases of theft are lodged,” she said.

CALL FOR POLICE VIGILANCE: Awan of Madadgaar Helpline called for increased police vigilance. “Our police personnel need sensitisation trainings as often they can’t differentiate between human smuggling and child trafficking. As long as there is a feudal system in the country, we will have human trafficking and child labour,” he said.
Pakistan is listed as “a source, transit, and destination country” for trafficked persons, according to the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons report for 2011. Pakistan’s largest human trafficking problem, according to the report, is that of bonded labour. Concentrated in Sindh and Punjab provinces, it is particularly common in brick kilns, carpet-making, agriculture, fishing, mining, leather tanning, and the production of glass bangles.

For the full story go to Pakistan Today.