UN concern over spurt in human trafficking cases

Assam Social Aspects of state

Illegal migration from Bangladesh to India is now a well established fact, but incidents of human trafficking, particularly trafficking of children from Bangladesh to India and vice versa has become a major cause of concern. The United Nations office of Drugs and Crime has also expressed serious concern over the issue.
The UN office , in a report, has also laid down a standard operating procedure for the stakeholders to deal with the menace.
The report said that the crime of trafficking in persons (TIP) is clandestine, complex and globally very challenging. It is controlled by highly organized transnational and transcontinental criminal networks and is a $150-$200 billion industry. In South Asia alone, it is estimated that the industry profits $52 billion annually and is often referred to as one of the fastest growing transnational organized crimes.
This is not surprising as the region comprises vast countries with high levels of socio-economic inequalities, large populations and intense internal migratory flows.
A large number of Indian and Bangladeshi citizens attempt to cross over to either territory in search of better life, employment opportunities and medical treatment.
This in turn, makes it extremely difficult for the first responders, that are the border guarding to identify/distinguish between an undocumented migrant and a victim of trafficking. Additionally, trafficking in persons may also take place through the ‘border haats’.