Human Rights in Abeyance in the Trade of Trafficking Human Beings: A Focus on the Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018

Abstract

Trafficking in human beings is considered to be a sophisticated and lucrative business. It has been identified as one of the fastest growing criminal industry in the world. It is a well-established international phenomenon of recent times and among the organized crimes, trafficking stands as the third largest category in terms of profit making after drug and arms smuggling. Human trafficking represents an estimated $31.6 billion of international trade. Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Almost every country in the world is affected by this menace, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. Trafficking in human beings has been considered as modern day slavery. Human beings are mostly trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation. However, included in the larger issue are the other dimensions of human trafficking, viz. forced labour, begging, organ trade, forced marriage, illegal adoption, surrogacy and camel jockeying. This research paper would examine relevant international and national documents such as, the United Nations Trafficking Protocol, the SAARC Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution, Criminal Law Amendment Act (2013) and recent Trafficking in persons (Prevention, Protection and rehabilitation) Bill of 2018. An attempt would also be made to provide an in-depth study of its concept, various emerging dimensions, causative factors, implications at the national and international levels.