On 11 March 2020, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus declared that the WHO had made the assessment that Covid-19 could be characterised as a pandemic. Due to the ascent of Covid-19 to pandemic status by the WHO, countries around the world imposed measures in an attempt to halt the spread of the virus. Measures ranging from curfews, enforced lockdowns, and travel restrictions have aided this attempt but have also had a detrimental effect on the most vulnerable people in society. In a preliminary assessment of the impact of the pandemic on human trafficking, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) stated that the virus outbreak had exacerbated and brought to the forefront the systemic and deeply entrenched economic and societal inequalities that are among the root causes of human trafficking. Anti-human trafficking organisation Prerana revealed that the trafficking trends of Covid-19 have resulted in restrictions of access to shelter and healthcare for victims, thus infringing both their right to health and right to adequate housing.
Trafficking has skyrocketed in India and Europe especially during Covid-19. Both regions were already dealing with high volumes of forced labor offences and sexual exploitation. In Jharkhand alone the number of children trafficked increased by over 600 percent in April and May compared to the same two months in the previous year.
THE TICKING BOMB OF CHILD EXPLOITATION IN INDIA
Covid-19 has provided a “convenient cloak“ for criminal networks. Traffickers have cruelly capitalised on the pandemic by preying on out-of-school children. When poverty-stricken and marginalised children are out of the formal education environment, they are at greater risk of being subjected to exploitation, child labour, and violence. School closures have also restricted teachers’ abilities to identify at-risk and exploited youths. Children are spending more time unsupervised online, which leaves them more vulnerable to grooming and coercion. India’s Child Protection Fund confirmed a radical rise in child pornography searches in March, as well as a staggering increase of 95 percent in the consumption of child sexual abuse material.
A large percentage of India’s informal workers have lost livelihoods because of the pandemic, exacerbating poverty levels. Many poverty stricken families, in their desperation, have turned to forcing their girls into marriage for money. Childline reported a 17 percent increase in distress calls from young Indian girls concerning marriage this year. Nobel Peace Prize winner Kailash Satyarthi says that “children have never faced such a crisis”. Children in India are also frequently trafficked through false promises of getaways and holidays. CNN’s October 2020 report on a vulnerable 14-year-old boy in Jaipur highlights the issue. The boy recalled his experience and explained how a man in their village gave him and his friends 500 rupees to “go on vacation” in Jaipur. Luckily their bus was intercepted by police and the man was later charged for child trafficking. However, there have been instances where children were not fortunate enough to be rescued.
EXPLOITATION IN EUROPE AMID COVID
A Guardian report revealed that thousands of Nigerian women and children forced into prostitution were abandoned by their traffickers during the three-month lockdown in Italy. Their illegal status rendered them destitute, as they were prohibited access to sources of assistance. The confinement of Covid-19 lockdowns bear many adverse impacts, parallel to the confinement experience for many trafficking victims.
Organisations around the world and local churches offered support and provided aid for the victims within parameters of the pandemic. However, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported that the restriction of movement and reduction in public services have made returning to countries of origin more complicated for victims.
VICTIMS IN TRAFFICKING SITUATIONS
For victims of trafficking, the pandemic has proven to be especially challenging. People have continued to purchase sex in the pandemic, leaving victims exposed to unsafe working environments, health disparities, and fear of repercussions from the traffickers. The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE) outlined that victims are being forced to participate in even riskier activities to earn money for traffickers and that they are facing higher levels of violence. This is bound to take a toll on the psychological and mental well-being of the survivors.
The severity of the pandemic has also led to a decline in trafficking convictions. Law enforcement capabilities have been significantly impeded by their shift of focus to Covid-19-related compliance. The low prioritisation of trafficking activity has resulted in fewer victims being identified and subsequently rescued.
Now is the time for governments to step up measures and create and develop strategies to help people. The aggravation of the pandemic on human trafficking should provoke ordinary people to act against this crisis. Stopping human trafficking requires a global, unified humanitarian effort.
Perpetual is a MA Human Rights student at Queen Mary University, London. Passionate about advancing poverty alleviation, social justice, education, and economic empowerment via The Kolleh Foundation, she aspires to become a judge to serve people by upholding the law and vindicating the rights of citizens.