HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Trafficking in persons is a heinous crime with serious
International dimensions. Internally organized crime syndicates
involved in migrant smuggling, trafficking of narcotics
and arms, often control trafficking in persons as well.
Trafficking is an exploitative process starting with the
recruitment and transportation of persons, after which they
are sold or forced into all forms of labor and servitude,
including trafficking into forced marriages, and forced
prostitution. Trafficking is a crime that violates the fundamental
human rights of its victims, along side of which there are
a number of consequences for the countries of origin, transit
and destination involved, not withstanding risks for national
and international security.
SHARP and its team of Attorneys of Human Rights and Volunteers
are continuously working on the eradication and elimination
of human rights and providing free legal aid to the victims
as well as their families. They are regularly holding meetings
with the communities and creating awareness on the human
trafficking as a crime.
In future, SHARP plans to organize sensitization training
workshops for the responsible organizations which are mainly
involved and deputed at the EXIT and ENTRY points of Pakistan
such as border crossing points, airport and sea port. SHARP
also plans to establish and strengthen partnership with
all the stake holders.
International Organization for Migration (IOM) with the
support of the Canadian International Development Agencies
Program for the Advancement of Gender Equality (CIDA - PAGE)
has been implementing its 2 year counter trafficking project
entitled “Development of a Conceptual Framework and
Strategies to Combat Trafficking”. This project has
focused on bringing together representatives from governmental
institutions, international organizations, UN agencies,
civil sector organizations, media and academics in a unique
forum called “Pakistan Thematic Group on Human Trafficking”
(PTGHT). This forum facilitated the PTGHT members to study,
debate, and reach consensus on pertinent issues regarding
the nature, causes and consequences of the phenomenon of
trafficking to identify viable solutions in tackling the
crime. SHARP has been a proud voluntary PTGHT member since
the inception of this project and actively participated
on the activities of PTGHT from the day one till last. SHARP
had the advantage in arranging events in this regard and
translated its experience and expertise with the group.
Apart from this, SHARP was assigned a project under the
name of “Promoting safe Migration Practices to prevent
Human Trafficking” by the American Center International
Labor Solidarity in the year 2008. SHARP conducted four
workshops in the areas knowingly hubs of women and children
trafficking internally and externally. The workshops were
conducted in Gujrat, Bahawalpur, Mardan and Peshawar. The
background prepared for the trainings reveal that Human
Trafficking is a heinous crime against humanity causing
serious threats to the HR agenda. Human trafficking has
now become more profitable trade than, arms and drugs industry
in today’s world. Human trafficking does not form
in isolation; it is directly linked to the social and economic
realities of a society and takes place in result of irregular
migration. It is no coincidence that the growth in trafficking
has taken place during a period where there has been an
increasing international demand for migrant workers, which
has not been adequately acknowledged or facilitated. The
lack of regular migration opportunities to take up work
in other countries and the fact that many migrants are looking
for work abroad as a means of survival, rather than an opportunity
to improve their standard of living, has left migrants with
little choice but to rely on smugglers or traffickers in
order to access these jobs.
In spite of all the loud public statements for the sanctity
of human rights and the dignity of human beings, flesh-trade
remains uncontrolled; which shows that is a denial of all
the moral declarations of development and equality. In the
world globe, human beings in general, and women and children
in particular, are bought and sold to cater a variety of
needs: sex slavery, prostitution, legal and illegal labor
and marriages, bonded labor, camel jockeys, baby farms,
adoption and entertainment.
Irregular migration is one main reason that leads people
towards driven by powerful and complex forces, including
a lack of jobs and other livelihood opportunities in countries
of origin and the demand for cheap and flexible labor in
destination countries. The growth of irregular migration
is also linked to a lack of regular migration opportunities,
and is facilitated b y criminal networks that profit from
migrants smuggling and from human trafficking Poverty reduction
is now the most urgent task facing many developing countries.
Unemployment is a key factor in poverty and the millions
of youths who are unemployed are socially and economically
dependent.
In the context of Pakistan, the problem of human trade
and trafficking is multidimensional in nature, as it needs
to be addressed on various fronts. First of all, it is the
destination point for those being trafficked in from Bangladesh,
Burma, Afghanistan and Central Asia; secondly, a transit
point for those brought from Far East Asia and Bangladesh
to be taken elsewhere; and additionally, it is a recruiting
ground for those who are trafficked and sent to Gulf.
The victims of trafficking are either lured by better job
prospects, or kidnapped against their wishes. In some cases,
women and children are sold by their parents, guardians
and husbands. Sometimes girls are sold after fake marriages,
or deceived into illegal cross-border migration.
Pakistan, as a country, has not been able to provide a
remotely satisfactory standard of living to its people.
According to some estimates, 1.1 million people are added
to the labor market each year. With the limited absorption
capacity o f the labor market, more than half of these new
entrants are unable to find jobs. The induction of trafficked
workforce into an already saturated market further deteriorates
the situation.
The main hindrances in the elimination of the problem are
lack of sufficient information on the issue, lack of awareness
at community level, lack of knowledge regarding safe migration,
absence of shelter and rehabilitation programmes, lack of
political commitment on the part of governments, and the
lack of proper law enforcement due to which the crime itself
often remains invisible. Traffickers, recruiters and agents
on the other hand, are working in the organized groups have
clear links to shine the trade. Trafficking is an international
as well as regional concern that needs to be faced on a
priority basis.
SHARP has been working for the elimination of human trafficking
and in the past SHARP contributed not only awareness campaign
for safe migration but also practically got involved in
rule making of the Human trafficking ordinance 2002.SHARP
was assigned to arrange an awareness raising campaign on
the safe migration to prevent human trafficking by the Solidarity
Center and in this regard a set of TOTs was organized in
the year 2008 in location of Bahawalpur, Mardan, Peshawar,
Gujarat an d consultation workshop was held in Islamabad.
The basic purpose of these TOTs is to enhance the capacity
of the stakeholders of selected locations to discuss various
methods to prevent trafficking and promote safe migration
and the circumstances being faced by the victims due to
trafficking.
The overall objective of this set of TOTs was to enhance
the anti-human trafficking capacity of area of the local
bodies’ through raising general levels of awareness
and understanding about human trafficking as a special crime
type. The collective recommendations are given below.
1) Raise awareness on grass root level and foster commitment
to adopt and implement policies to counter trafficking in
persons.
2) Increase the knowledgebase about human trafficking; build
and strengthen greater commitment to existing and new partnership
with Governments, the international community, NGOs, the
private sector, civil society, organization and the media.
3) Mobilize resources to support action; and implement project
to fight human trafficking on a local regional and international
level.
4) Formation of inter religious priest forum in all district
and also on state level and Establishing linkages / contact
with NGO network working.
5) Manage education and outreach regarding trafficking in
person to target Government officials, traditional leaders
and members of the community, paying special attention to
decreasing the stigmatization of victims.
6) Strengthen and sensitize the police and courts to address
all forms of trafficking and sexual violence.
