<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-police-rescue-dozens-of-rohingya-being-trafficked-to-malaysia-218629&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwik1LqLlaDiAhVt63MBHRnZBiMQFjAEegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw25m7a90_VHZuksvA79G65o">Bangladesh authorities</a> have launched a crackdown on suspected people-smugglers masquerading as "travel agents" after dozens of Bangladeshis drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean into Europe, officials said Thursday.

About 60 people died last week when a boat full of would-be migrants capsized while trying to cross from Libya to Italy, in a case that has put the spotlight on the desperate struggle of young unemployed Bangladeshis to find work abroad.

Fourteen Bangladeshis were among 16 people rescued by Tunisian fishermen, while Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said 39 Bangladeshis were unaccounted for.

Families of those who died said the so-called "travel agents" took money from youths in exchange for a passage to Libya and the promise of a sea crossing to Europe.

Authorities sealed off 23 travel agencies in northeastern Sylhet district after it was found many were working for international trafficking networks, Momen said.

"We will take stern action against these agents," he told reporters.

Five mobile courts set up on the back of trucks ordered jail terms for nine suspected traffickers and another 29 were fined, said Sylhet government administrator Kazi Emdadul Islam.

Magistrate Nasirullah Khan said the crackdown will continue against the "greedy and illegal travel agents" who prey on unemployed young men.

"We want to ensure no mother would ever lose her child again," he said.

Tens of thousands of young Bangladeshi men have attempted the perilous Mediterranean crossing in recent years, and the number of traffickers catering to them has mushroomed.

While the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-police-arrests-poet-for-hurting-religious-sentiments-218789&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjNx5CglaDiAhXJvI8KHaUgDmcQFjAIegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw09zKOHJVAqnVMyKyx7xOiS">Bangladesh </a>economy has grown at an annual clip of 6-7 per cent through the decade, there are still not enough jobs and many young men try to reach Europe and North America on death-defying illegal routes.

Growing unemployment is fuelling desperation to escape, said Professor Jalal Uddin Sikder, a migration expert at the University of Liberal Arts in Dhaka.

"Low paid jobs are available but these young men want better-paid jobs in the West," he told AFP.

"But many do not survive the long, tiring journey through the desert and across the seas, while some get sold as slaves even before they reach the Libyan coast", the&nbsp;Professor added.

Bangladesh authorities have launched a crackdown on suspected people-smugglers masquerading as "travel agents" after dozens of Bangladeshis drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean into Europe, officials said Thursday.

Bangladesh authorities have launched a crackdown on suspected people-smugglers masquerading as "travel agents" after dozens of Bangladeshis drowned while trying to cross the Mediterranean into Europe, officials said Thursday. About 60 people died last week when a boat full of would-be migrants capsized while trying to cross from Libya to Italy, in a case that has put the spotlight on the desperate struggle of young unemployed Bangladeshis to find work abroad. Fourteen Bangladeshis were among 16 people rescued by Tunisian fishermen, while Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said 39 Bangladeshis were unaccounted for. Families of those who died said the so-called "travel agents" took money from youths in exchange for a passage to Libya and the promise of a sea crossing to Europe. Authorities sealed off 23 travel agencies in northeastern Sylhet district after it was found many were working for international trafficking networks, Momen said. "We will take stern action against these agents," he told reporters. Five mobile courts set up on the back of trucks ordered jail terms for nine suspected traffickers and another 29 were fined, said Sylhet government administrator Kazi Emdadul Islam. Magistrate Nasirullah Khan said the crackdown will continue against the "greedy and illegal travel agents" who prey on unemployed young men. "We want to ensure no mother would ever lose her child again," he said. Tens of thousands of young Bangladeshi men have attempted the perilous Mediterranean crossing in recent years, and the number of traffickers catering to them has mushroomed. While the Bangladesh economy has grown at an annual clip of 6-7 per cent through the decade, there are still not enough jobs and many young men try to reach Europe and North America on death-defying illegal routes. Growing unemployment is fuelling desperation to escape, said Professor Jalal Uddin Sikder, a migration expert at the University of Liberal Arts in Dhaka. "Low paid jobs are available but these young men want better-paid jobs in the West," he told AFP. "But many do not survive the long, tiring journey through the desert and across the seas, while some get sold as slaves even before they reach the Libyan coast", the Professor added.

Bangladesh launches trafficker crackdown after Mediterranean deaths

Bangladeshi police shot dead two suspected <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/in-exile-in-bangladesh-a-bittersweet-revival-of-rohingya-culture-216919&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiey8rN153iAhXFK48KHc1TBi4QFjADegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1okm4Rmfta8vC9H-5d9gOH">Rohingya </a>human traffickers, officials said Wednesday, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-police-rescue-dozens-of-rohingya-being-trafficked-to-malaysia-218629&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiey8rN153iAhXFK48KHc1TBi4QFjAAegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3XQL5CppKi8_2MHU92PC4F">after rescuing 103 refugees in two days</a> about to make the perilous sea voyage to Malaysia.

The two Rohingya men were killed outside a refugee camp in the southeast on Tuesday evening, said Prodip Kumar Das, police chief of Teknaf which borders Myanmar.

"They opened fire at the police. We fired back in retaliation," he told AFP.

This is the first time in four years suspected human traffickers were killed in a gunfight in Bangladesh's southeast.&nbsp;

It follows a rise in attempted human smuggling of Rohingya in the last few months. &nbsp; &nbsp;

People-smugglers have in recent years sent tens of thousands of Rohingya from the Bangladesh camps by boat to relatively prosperous Malaysia, usually between November and April when the seas are calmer.

But the route was disrupted in 2015 when a Bangladeshi crackdown killed dozens of top traffickers after Thai authorities discovered mass graves and overcrowded boats drifting at sea.&nbsp;

Now the traffickers are back, officials say, preying on the camps where 740,000 Rohingya took shelter in 2017 after fleeing a brutal military crackdown in their homeland in <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/un-experts-urge-financial-isolation-of-myanmar-military-218741&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiey8rN153iAhXFK48KHc1TBi4QFjABegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0fjEzMKN_GqYOhJe1eEaJs">Myanmar</a>.

Masud Hossain, police chief of Cox's Bazar district, told AFP that the police alone have this year rescued over 300 Rohingya, including many young girls, lured by traffickers to go to Malaysia.

On Tuesday evening Cox's Bazar police rescued 34 Rohingya bound for Malaysia, local police chief Fariduddin Khandker said, a day after 69 people were rescued.

Police also intercepted 23 Rohingya teenage girls from the capital Dhaka last week waiting to be trafficked to Malaysia by air. Police suspect the girls were to be sold for forced prostitution.

Rights activists are worried about growing desperation in the camps but said gunfights were not the solution.

"This (killing traffickers in gunfights) will never bring any permanent solution. Instead, it will create a horrific environment in the camps," prominent rights worker Nur Khan Liton told AFP.

Bangladeshi police shot dead two suspected Rohingya human traffickers, officials said Wednesday, after rescuing 103 refugees in two days about to make the perilous sea voyage to Malaysia.

Bangladeshi police shot dead two suspected Rohingya human traffickers, officials said Wednesday, after rescuing 103 refugees in two days about to make the perilous sea voyage to Malaysia. The two Rohingya men were killed outside a refugee camp in the southeast on Tuesday evening, said Prodip Kumar Das, police chief of Teknaf which borders Myanmar. "They opened fire at the police. We fired back in retaliation," he told AFP. This is the first time in four years suspected human traffickers were killed in a gunfight in Bangladesh's southeast. It follows a rise in attempted human smuggling of Rohingya in the last few months. People-smugglers have in recent years sent tens of thousands of Rohingya from the Bangladesh camps by boat to relatively prosperous Malaysia, usually between November and April when the seas are calmer. But the route was disrupted in 2015 when a Bangladeshi crackdown killed dozens of top traffickers after Thai authorities discovered mass graves and overcrowded boats drifting at sea. Now the traffickers are back, officials say, preying on the camps where 740,000 Rohingya took shelter in 2017 after fleeing a brutal military crackdown in their homeland in Myanmar. Masud Hossain, police chief of Cox's Bazar district, told AFP that the police alone have this year rescued over 300 Rohingya, including many young girls, lured by traffickers to go to Malaysia. On Tuesday evening Cox's Bazar police rescued 34 Rohingya bound for Malaysia, local police chief Fariduddin Khandker said, a day after 69 people were rescued. Police also intercepted 23 Rohingya teenage girls from the capital Dhaka last week waiting to be trafficked to Malaysia by air. Police suspect the girls were to be sold for forced prostitution. Rights activists are worried about growing desperation in the camps but said gunfights were not the solution. "This (killing traffickers in gunfights) will never bring any permanent solution. Instead, it will create a horrific environment in the camps," prominent rights worker Nur Khan Liton told AFP.

Alleged Rohingya traffickers shot by Bangladesh police, 103 refugees rescued

Amidst raging controversy over <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistans-airspace-to-remain-shut-for-indian-flights-till-may-30-218987&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiQhLe2xZ3iAhWIuY8KHfh8BVwQFjADegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0td7be3lwPxyHAm1626auJ">Pakistani</a>&nbsp;girls being trafficked to <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/victory-awaits-in-china-trade-war-trump-tells-farmers-218859&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjmofvexZ3iAhWKPo8KHXM5D4sQFjAIegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3CLgepXRQWoOa8FdUFmXJP">China </a>after fake marriages, the Chinese embassy here has withheld visas of 90 Pakistani brides, according to a media report.

China's Deputy Chief of Mission in Pakistan Lijian Zhao said on Tuesday that 140 applications have been received this year from Chinese nationals, seeking visas for their Pakistani brides.

Only 50 visas were granted, while the remaining requests were withheld, he said, adding that the embassy had received 142 such applications in 2018, The Express Tribune reported.

The <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/pakistan/pakistan-media-and-people-scared-of-speaking-against-cpec-us-lawmakers-told-218824&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiQhLe2xZ3iAhWIuY8KHfh8BVwQFjAEegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0nDcAww-aw1Kr09qrf3O3F">Pakistan </a>Government has recently ordered the Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) to take action against the gangs involved in smuggling of Pakistani girls to China on the pretext of contracting marriage.

According to the local media reports, poor Christians girls, are lured, with money and promises of 'good life', by the illegal matchmaking centres to marry Chinese men who are either visiting or working in Pakistan.

These centres produce fake documents of Chinese men showing them either as Christians or Muslims.

Most of the girls reportedly became victims of human trafficking and are forced into prostitution.

''This sudden spike in the number of transnational marriages alerted the officials and we approached our Pakistani counterparts who have launched an investigation into the matter'',&nbsp;a Chinese diplomat said.

However, Zhao said that the media reports twisted the facts as there was no evidence to prove that the women were forced into prostitution and subjected to the heinous crime of organ harvesting.

The diplomat denied that all marriages were fake, saying the Chinese nationals, who applied for visas of their Pakistani spouses last year, have completed all the legal formalities before moving the application, the report said.

He said that there were few complaints of Pakistani women being tortured by their husbands in China, which would be addressed accordingly.

He asked the Pakistani authorities to review the on-arrival visa policy for Chinese businessmen as some marriage bureaus in Pakistan were misusing it.

The FIA has already launched a crackdown against fake marriages and human trafficking operations by the Chinese.

The FIA Lahore Zone-I busted a Chinese gang from Johar Town in Punjab province and arrested 11 Chinese nationals and their two Pakistani facilitators.

China on Friday said its ministry of public security had sent a task force to Pakistan to cooperate in the crackdown.

Amidst raging controversy over Pakistani girls being trafficked to China after fake marriages, the Chinese embassy here has withheld visas of 90 Pakistani brides, according to a media report.

Amidst raging controversy over Pakistani girls being trafficked to China after fake marriages, the Chinese embassy here has withheld visas of 90 Pakistani brides, according to a media report. China's Deputy Chief of Mission in Pakistan Lijian Zhao said on Tuesday that 140 applications have been received this year from Chinese nationals, seeking visas for their Pakistani brides. Only 50 visas were granted, while the remaining requests were withheld, he said, adding that the embassy had received 142 such applications in 2018, The Express Tribune reported. The Pakistan Government has recently ordered the Federal Investigating Agency (FIA) to take action against the gangs involved in smuggling of Pakistani girls to China on the pretext of contracting marriage. According to the local media reports, poor Christians girls, are lured, with money and promises of 'good life', by the illegal matchmaking centres to marry Chinese men who are either visiting or working in Pakistan. These centres produce fake documents of Chinese men showing them either as Christians or Muslims. Most of the girls reportedly became victims of human trafficking and are forced into prostitution. ''This sudden spike in the number of transnational marriages alerted the officials and we approached our Pakistani counterparts who have launched an investigation into the matter'', a Chinese diplomat said. However, Zhao said that the media reports twisted the facts as there was no evidence to prove that the women were forced into prostitution and subjected to the heinous crime of organ harvesting. The diplomat denied that all marriages were fake, saying the Chinese nationals, who applied for visas of their Pakistani spouses last year, have completed all the legal formalities before moving the application, the report said. He said that there were few complaints of Pakistani women being tortured by their husbands in China, which would be addressed accordingly. He asked the Pakistani authorities to review the on-arrival visa policy for Chinese businessmen as some marriage bureaus in Pakistan were misusing it. The FIA has already launched a crackdown against fake marriages and human trafficking operations by the Chinese. The FIA Lahore Zone-I busted a Chinese gang from Johar Town in Punjab province and arrested 11 Chinese nationals and their two Pakistani facilitators. China on Friday said its ministry of public security had sent a task force to Pakistan to cooperate in the crackdown.

China withholds 90 Pakistani brides' visa over trafficking fears

A spate of arrests of Chinese nationals allegedly involved in fake marriages with Pakistani women and reports of human trafficking and organ trade have forced China to send a "task force" to Islamabad to quickly deal with the issues that could "undermine" the bilateral all-weather ties.

Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday arrested three more <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/over-20-chinese-arrested-for-girls-trafficking-in-pakistan-217106">Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in fake marriages</a> and human trafficking from the Islamabad airport, Dawn newspaper reported.

The FIA's immigration cell also took into custody three local women who were accompanying the Chinese men. The three couples were intercepted as they were about to leave for China, it said.

On Thursday, the FIA announced that it had taken 11 Chinese nationals into custody for a probe into a transnational gang allegedly involved in prostitution and illegal organ trade.

In Islamabad, the Chinese embassy said it has noted media reports and that Pakistan has taken measures in accordance with its domestic laws and regulations.&nbsp;

"Relevant cases are now under investigation," the mission said in a press release, adding that the Ministry of Public Security of China has sent a "task force to Pakistan to carry out law enforcement cooperation with the Pakistani side".

An FIA press release detailed how the agency had come to know about the suspected ring, which involves large sums of money changing hands for the contracting of fake marriages between vulnerable Pakistani women and Chinese men. The women are later allegedly trafficked into prostitution in China.

Nazir Ahmad, the father of one of the victims, registered a complaint with the FIA and told them that how some agents contacted him and lured him into marrying his daughter to a Chinese, the Express Tribune reported.

The agents assured Nazir, for a brief period, he would be accompanying his daughter abroad where she would also be allowed to work.

After marrying 'Musa', the girl travelled to Islamabad and left for China.&nbsp;

After some time, the girl called her father to reveal that the family had been duped, the report said.

According to Nazir's daughter, her husband who had not converted to Islam was forcing her into prostitution.

When Nazir contacted the agents, he was told to contact their boss Wei Linping in Islamabad. When Nazir contacted Wei, he was told that the agents had received Rs 2 million and he would have to pay the amount to get his daughter back.

Nazir was warned that the girl would be forced into prostitution or illegal organ transplantation if he did not pay the amount, the Express Tribune report said.

After the Pakistani High Commission intervened, the victim was recovered. In her appearance before the FIA, she revealed that the den of this gang was located in Johar Town in Lahore, Punjab province.

The Chinese embassy statement said Beijing will further strengthen cooperation with the law enforcement agencies in Pakistan, effectively combat crime, so as to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the two peoples, and jointly safeguard China-Pakistan friendly relations.

"It is worth noting that several media reports have fabricated facts and spread rumours. According to investigations by the Ministry of Public Security of China, there is no forced prostitution or sale of human organs for those Pakistani women who stay in China after marriage with Chinese," the statement said.&nbsp;

"We hope that the media reports should seek truth from facts, be objective and fair. We hope the people of China and Pakistan do not believe the rumours.&nbsp;

"We will never allow a few criminals to undermine China-Pakistan friendship and hurt the friendly feelings between two peoples," the statement said.&nbsp;

A spate of arrests of Chinese nationals allegedly involved in fake marriages with Pakistani women and reports of human trafficking and organ trade have forced China to send a "task force" to Islamabad to quickly deal with the issues that could "undermine" the bilateral all-weather ties.

A spate of arrests of Chinese nationals allegedly involved in fake marriages with Pakistani women and reports of human trafficking and organ trade have forced China to send a "task force" to Islamabad to quickly deal with the issues that could "undermine" the bilateral all-weather ties. Pakistan's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday arrested three more Chinese nationals suspected of involvement in fake marriages and human trafficking from the Islamabad airport, Dawn newspaper reported. The FIA's immigration cell also took into custody three local women who were accompanying the Chinese men. The three couples were intercepted as they were about to leave for China, it said. On Thursday, the FIA announced that it had taken 11 Chinese nationals into custody for a probe into a transnational gang allegedly involved in prostitution and illegal organ trade. In Islamabad, the Chinese embassy said it has noted media reports and that Pakistan has taken measures in accordance with its domestic laws and regulations. "Relevant cases are now under investigation," the mission said in a press release, adding that the Ministry of Public Security of China has sent a "task force to Pakistan to carry out law enforcement cooperation with the Pakistani side". An FIA press release detailed how the agency had come to know about the suspected ring, which involves large sums of money changing hands for the contracting of fake marriages between vulnerable Pakistani women and Chinese men. The women are later allegedly trafficked into prostitution in China. Nazir Ahmad, the father of one of the victims, registered a complaint with the FIA and told them that how some agents contacted him and lured him into marrying his daughter to a Chinese, the Express Tribune reported. The agents assured Nazir, for a brief period, he would be accompanying his daughter abroad where she would also be allowed to work. After marrying 'Musa', the girl travelled to Islamabad and left for China. After some time, the girl called her father to reveal that the family had been duped, the report said. According to Nazir's daughter, her husband who had not converted to Islam was forcing her into prostitution. When Nazir contacted the agents, he was told to contact their boss Wei Linping in Islamabad. When Nazir contacted Wei, he was told that the agents had received Rs 2 million and he would have to pay the amount to get his daughter back. Nazir was warned that the girl would be forced into prostitution or illegal organ transplantation if he did not pay the amount, the Express Tribune report said. After the Pakistani High Commission intervened, the victim was recovered. In her appearance before the FIA, she revealed that the den of this gang was located in Johar Town in Lahore, Punjab province. The Chinese embassy statement said Beijing will further strengthen cooperation with the law enforcement agencies in Pakistan, effectively combat crime, so as to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the two peoples, and jointly safeguard China-Pakistan friendly relations. "It is worth noting that several media reports have fabricated facts and spread rumours. According to investigations by the Ministry of Public Security of China, there is no forced prostitution or sale of human organs for those Pakistani women who stay in China after marriage with Chinese," the statement said. "We hope that the media reports should seek truth from facts, be objective and fair. We hope the people of China and Pakistan do not believe the rumours. "We will never allow a few criminals to undermine China-Pakistan friendship and hurt the friendly feelings between two peoples," the statement said.

China sends 'task force' to Pakistan to deal with fake marriage, human trafficking

Pope Francis led Good Friday services dedicated to the victims of human trafficking and the plight of migrants, denouncing leaders with "armoured hearts" who exploit their plight for political gain.

Francis, marking his seventh Easter season as Roman Catholic leader, presided at a traditional Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) service at Rome's Colosseum, attended by thousands of people holding candles.

The meditations read out by speakers during the 14 "stations of the cross" which commemorate the last hours of Jesus' life were written by Sister Eugenia Bonetti, an 80-year-old Italian nun who has won multiple awards for her work with trafficked women and children.

At the end of the service, Francis read a prayer in which he spoke of the poor, the hungry, the elderly, abused children and the environment.

In it, he spoke of "the cross of migrants who find doors closed because of fear and hearts that are armoured by political calculation".

Francis has made a defence of migrants a key feature of his pontificate and has clashed over the immigration with politicians such as US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini who leads the anti-immigrant League party and has closed Italy's ports to rescue ships operated by charities.

Each year, the Pope entrusts the writing of the meditations to a different person or group. Bonetti's were among the most graphic and emotional ever read at the service.

Francis listened intently as three speakers read Bonetti's meditations about migrants being set on fire, dying in the desert or drowning at sea and ending up in nameless coffins.

One of Bonetti's meditations read:

"Let us think of all those children in various parts of the world who cannot go to school but are instead exploited in mines, fields and fisheries, bought and sold by human traffickers for organ harvesting, used and abused on our streets by many, including Christians ...,"

She wrote of seeing "men in luxury cars lined up to exploit" young woman forced into prostitution shortly after they arrive in Italy, where many African migrants wash up, hoping for a fresh start only to be snared by traffickers and pimps.

"Men, women and children are bought and sold like slaves by the new traders in human lives," she wrote, "How many people are growing rich by devouring the flesh and blood of the poor?"

The 82-year-old leader of the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics will lead an Easter vigil service on Saturday night and on Easter Sunday will read the traditional "Urbi et Orbi" (To The City and The World) message.

Pope Francis led Good Friday services dedicated to the victims of human trafficking and the plight of migrants, denouncing leaders with "armoured hearts" who exploit their plight for political gain.

Pope Francis led Good Friday services dedicated to the victims of human trafficking and the plight of migrants, denouncing leaders with "armoured hearts" who exploit their plight for political gain. Francis, marking his seventh Easter season as Roman Catholic leader, presided at a traditional Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) service at Rome's Colosseum, attended by thousands of people holding candles. The meditations read out by speakers during the 14 "stations of the cross" which commemorate the last hours of Jesus' life were written by Sister Eugenia Bonetti, an 80-year-old Italian nun who has won multiple awards for her work with trafficked women and children. At the end of the service, Francis read a prayer in which he spoke of the poor, the hungry, the elderly, abused children and the environment. In it, he spoke of "the cross of migrants who find doors closed because of fear and hearts that are armoured by political calculation". Francis has made a defence of migrants a key feature of his pontificate and has clashed over the immigration with politicians such as US President Donald Trump and Italy's Interior Minister Matteo Salvini who leads the anti-immigrant League party and has closed Italy's ports to rescue ships operated by charities. Each year, the Pope entrusts the writing of the meditations to a different person or group. Bonetti's were among the most graphic and emotional ever read at the service. Francis listened intently as three speakers read Bonetti's meditations about migrants being set on fire, dying in the desert or drowning at sea and ending up in nameless coffins. One of Bonetti's meditations read: "Let us think of all those children in various parts of the world who cannot go to school but are instead exploited in mines, fields and fisheries, bought and sold by human traffickers for organ harvesting, used and abused on our streets by many, including Christians ...," She wrote of seeing "men in luxury cars lined up to exploit" young woman forced into prostitution shortly after they arrive in Italy, where many African migrants wash up, hoping for a fresh start only to be snared by traffickers and pimps. "Men, women and children are bought and sold like slaves by the new traders in human lives," she wrote, "How many people are growing rich by devouring the flesh and blood of the poor?" The 82-year-old leader of the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics will lead an Easter vigil service on Saturday night and on Easter Sunday will read the traditional "Urbi et Orbi" (To The City and The World) message.

On Good Friday, pope hears harrowing stories of human trafficking

A Malaysian inquiry into the 2015 discovery of suspected human-trafficking camps and graves in the jungle heard Thursday police found one of the sites months before authorities publicly revealed their existence.

The public inquiry, which began this week, is examining the conduct of law enforcement agencies with regard to the discovery of almost 150 graves and dozens of camps near the Thai border.

Malaysian authorities announced in May 2015 they had uncovered the sites in the north of the country, about a month after neighbouring Thailand said it had found bodies of Rohingya from Myanmar and Bangladeshis at a makeshift camp over the border.

The discovery prompted Thai authorities to crack down on traditional sea routes for illegal migrants coming to the country, triggering a crisis as people-smugglers dumped hundreds of refugees off the coasts of other countries and fled.

On Thursday the Malaysian inquiry heard from M&nbsp;Joeking, a senior police official charged with guarding the border in part of northern Malaysian, who said authorities found a camp in January 2015.&nbsp;

After hearing from a colleague about the camp in the jungle, he sent officers to raid the site in northern Perlis state where they discovered wooden cages and lookout posts, as well as graves and a stretcher to carry dead bodies.

His testimony confirmed long-held suspicions that authorities knew about the camps -- where Rohingya and Bangladeshis were held in appalling conditions after arriving by sea -- for months before going public.&nbsp;

Razali Ismail, one of the officials overseeing the inquiry, suggested the raid was a failure as many migrants fled and police rescued only 38 of them.

But Joeking responded: "We managed to save 38 people... We saved lives and halted the operations of a syndicate."

The establishment of the inquiry was announced in January, several months after a corruption-plagued regime was ejected from power by a reformist alliance.

Muslim Rohingya from Myanmar, who complain of persecution in their mainly Buddhist homeland, and Bangladeshis for years made the perilous sea crossing in large numbers to Thailand, from where they usually headed to Muslim-majority Malaysia.

Arrivals have fallen sharply since the 2015 crackdown.

A Malaysian inquiry into the 2015 discovery of suspected human-trafficking camps and graves in the jungle heard Thursday police found one of the sites months before authorities publicly revealed their existence.

A Malaysian inquiry into the 2015 discovery of suspected human-trafficking camps and graves in the jungle heard Thursday police found one of the sites months before authorities publicly revealed their existence. The public inquiry, which began this week, is examining the conduct of law enforcement agencies with regard to the discovery of almost 150 graves and dozens of camps near the Thai border. Malaysian authorities announced in May 2015 they had uncovered the sites in the north of the country, about a month after neighbouring Thailand said it had found bodies of Rohingya from Myanmar and Bangladeshis at a makeshift camp over the border. The discovery prompted Thai authorities to crack down on traditional sea routes for illegal migrants coming to the country, triggering a crisis as people-smugglers dumped hundreds of refugees off the coasts of other countries and fled. On Thursday the Malaysian inquiry heard from M Joeking, a senior police official charged with guarding the border in part of northern Malaysian, who said authorities found a camp in January 2015. After hearing from a colleague about the camp in the jungle, he sent officers to raid the site in northern Perlis state where they discovered wooden cages and lookout posts, as well as graves and a stretcher to carry dead bodies. His testimony confirmed long-held suspicions that authorities knew about the camps -- where Rohingya and Bangladeshis were held in appalling conditions after arriving by sea -- for months before going public. Razali Ismail, one of the officials overseeing the inquiry, suggested the raid was a failure as many migrants fled and police rescued only 38 of them. But Joeking responded: "We managed to save 38 people... We saved lives and halted the operations of a syndicate." The establishment of the inquiry was announced in January, several months after a corruption-plagued regime was ejected from power by a reformist alliance. Muslim Rohingya from Myanmar, who complain of persecution in their mainly Buddhist homeland, and Bangladeshis for years made the perilous sea crossing in large numbers to Thailand, from where they usually headed to Muslim-majority Malaysia. Arrivals have fallen sharply since the 2015 crackdown.

Malaysian inquiry probes trafficking camps, migrant graves

As human trafficking continues in the city, the son of a 42-year-old woman, who has been trafficked to Kuwait, has reached out to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for help to rescue his mother.

Mohd. Sardar, son of Mehraj Begum, told that last year an agent by the name of Mohd Aleem had approached his mother and offered her the job of a beautician in Kuwait with a monthly salary of Rs. 40,000.&nbsp;

He also assured that her good food and accommodation in Kuwait, after which his mother left for Kuwait on 24 September 2018.

He added, she was received by the employer and employed as a housemaid. "My mother adjusted and worked there as a housemaid.&nbsp;

They did not pay her the promised salary but she received 28,000. Her employers are making her work in four to five houses as domestic help. My mother fell unconscious due to extreme pain, despite which her employers are not taking to hospital and asking her to work by giving her a tablet.

Mohd. Sardar claimed that his mother`s employer had demanded Rs two lakh for sending her back to India."Where can we pay the two lakhs to him? My mother is being tortured by her employers continuously. They are not even providing adequate food to eat. I also approached the local police station and lodged a complaint against the agent who sent my mother to Kuwait."

Police said action will be initiated after he comes back to India. As she was fed up with the torture she ran away and reached the Indian Embassy in Kuwait two days ago. Her passport is also with her employer. I request EAM Sushma Swaraj to rescue and see that my mother reaches back home soon," he said.&nbsp;

As human trafficking continues in the city, the son of a 42-year-old woman, who has been trafficked to Kuwait, has reached out to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for help to rescue his mother.

As human trafficking continues in the city, the son of a 42-year-old woman, who has been trafficked to Kuwait, has reached out to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for help to rescue his mother. Mohd. Sardar, son of Mehraj Begum, told that last year an agent by the name of Mohd Aleem had approached his mother and offered her the job of a beautician in Kuwait with a monthly salary of Rs. 40,000. He also assured that her good food and accommodation in Kuwait, after which his mother left for Kuwait on 24 September 2018. He added, she was received by the employer and employed as a housemaid. "My mother adjusted and worked there as a housemaid. They did not pay her the promised salary but she received 28,000. Her employers are making her work in four to five houses as domestic help. My mother fell unconscious due to extreme pain, despite which her employers are not taking to hospital and asking her to work by giving her a tablet. Mohd. Sardar claimed that his mother`s employer had demanded Rs two lakh for sending her back to India."Where can we pay the two lakhs to him? My mother is being tortured by her employers continuously. They are not even providing adequate food to eat. I also approached the local police station and lodged a complaint against the agent who sent my mother to Kuwait." Police said action will be initiated after he comes back to India. As she was fed up with the torture she ran away and reached the Indian Embassy in Kuwait two days ago. Her passport is also with her employer. I request EAM Sushma Swaraj to rescue and see that my mother reaches back home soon," he said.

Man seeks Swaraj's help to rescue mother trafficked to Kuwait

Malaysian police intercepted a tanker carrying 131 Sri Lankans. The tanker was bound for Australia and New Zealand.&nbsp

The authorities halted the tanker on Tuesday and rescued 98 Sri Lankan immigrant men, 24 women, four boys and five girls.

A fishing boat was also raided which is believed to be used to transport the migrants to the vessel. Three Indonesians and four Malaysians were rescued from the boat.&nbsp

The authorities have detained five Malaysians for suspected involvement in the smuggling.&nbsp

According to Malaysian officials, the human smuggling racket was in existence for more than a year.

The human smuggling racket was in existence for more than a year

Malaysian police intercepted a tanker carrying 131 Sri Lankans. The tanker was bound for Australia and New Zealand. The authorities halted the tanker on Tuesday and rescued 98 Sri Lankan immigrant men, 24 women, four boys and five girls. A fishing boat was also raided which is believed to be used to transport the migrants to the vessel. Three Indonesians and four Malaysians were rescued from the boat. The authorities have detained five Malaysians for suspected involvement in the smuggling. According to Malaysian officials, the human smuggling racket was in existence for more than a year.

Malaysia foils smuggling racket, rescues 131 Sri Lankan immigrants

The Trump administration is warning Pakistan it could lose U.S. civilian aid worth tens of millions of dollars this year if Washington finds that the South Asian nation has not done enough to combat human trafficking, U.S. officials said.

An aid cutback would deal a fresh blow to US-Pakistan relations following President Donald Trump’s suspension in January of some $2 billion in US&nbspsecurity assistance over what Trump said was Islamabad's failure to crack down on Afghan insurgent sanctuaries used for attacks into Afghanistan.

A large portion of US&nbspcivilian aid - $265 million in 2017, according to a source at the US&nbspEmbassy in Islamabad – could be withheld if the State Department puts Pakistan on a list of worst global offenders in human trafficking in an annual report due out in June.

The funding is relatively modest for the size of Pakistan's economy. But Islamabad could suffer a heavier jolt if Washington also decides to oppose new assistance from international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

These are all sanctions that the United States, under federal law, can impose on any country receiving the lowest grade on human trafficking unless Trump issues a full or partial waiver. He did so for most countries on last year's blacklist, following a pattern set by recent predecessors who were especially lenient on U.S. allies and partners.

By making good on its threat against Pakistan, the Trump administration would raise questions about whether it was using the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report to pressure Islamabad to do more on counter-terrorism.

The report is not supposed to be influenced by other geopolitical considerations, but human rights groups accused the Trump administration last year, and the Obama administration before it, of sometimes prioritizing economic and security interests over human trafficking concerns.

Pakistani Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal told Reuters the country has "taken very stringent steps" against human trafficking and the issue "should not be used for political means to pressurize countries."

A senior Trump administration official said no decision on the ranking has been made, but that Pakistan, long an uneasy US&nbspally, has been told it can avoid a lower ranking - and a possible aid cut - only “if we see them making sincere efforts to address the problems that have been raised."

The U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied any link between Pakistan’s cooperation with Trump’s strategy to force the Afghan Taliban into peace talks and the possible loss of U.S. civilian assistance, stressing that any TIP decision would be based solely on Islamabad’s human trafficking record.

The State Department declined to comment, except to cite the penalties available under the US&nbspanti-human trafficking law.

Pakistan has long rejected U.S. accusations that it provides Afghan Taliban and allied Haqqani network militants with sanctuaries from which they attack the Kabul government and U.S.-led foreign forces in Afghanistan.

CIVILIAN AID HANGS IN BALANCE

Future civilian aid hinges on Pakistan's rating in the State Department’s 2018 TIP report, an assessment of how more than 180 countries and territories are fighting human smuggling, modern slavery and related issues like child soldiers.

Pakistan has been on the report’s Tier 2 "Watch List" for four years, the limit a country can remain at the second-to-worst ranking. Unless it is upgraded, Pakistan will drop to Tier 3, the lowest rung, alongside Iran, North Korea and Syria, among others.

This would trigger the suspension of civilian assistance, except for humanitarian and trade-related aid, unless Trump, who has been stridently critical of Pakistan, waives the penalties. A Tier 3 rating assesses that a country does not comply with minimum U.S. standards against human trafficking.

Pakistan has struggled to eradicate bonded labour practices, especially in dirty brick kilns where children often work.

Iqbal said Pakistan would soon enact tougher laws. He did not confirm, however, that Washington had warned his government about potential aid cuts related to human trafficking.

“This cause is much more valuable than billions of dollars in aid because this is about human dignity," he told Reuters. "There has to be more understanding of the efforts that countries like us are doing."

Pakistani officials dismissed the impact of a loss of US&nbspcivilian aid, most of which flows through non-governmental organizations, on the country's growing economy of nearly $300 billion.

Still, they have expressed concern that Washington wants international bodies to punish Pakistan for not heeding Trump's South Asia security agenda.

&nbspIn February, urged by the United States and European powers, the Financial Action Task Force, a global money-laundering watchdog, placed Pakistan on a terrorist financing watchlist.

Pakistan fears Washington could use its vote in the IMF, to which the United States is the largest contributor, to oppose new loans to Islamabad. Pakistan's economic growth has surged to above 5 percent, but many analysts expect Pakistan to seek a new IMF bailout this year due to a ballooning current account deficit and dwindling foreign currency reserves.

An aid cutback would deal a fresh blow to US-Pakistan relations following President Donald Trump’s suspension in January of some $2 billion in U.S. security assistance

The Trump administration is warning Pakistan it could lose U.S. civilian aid worth tens of millions of dollars this year if Washington finds that the South Asian nation has not done enough to combat human trafficking, U.S. officials said. An aid cutback would deal a fresh blow to US-Pakistan relations following President Donald Trump’s suspension in January of some $2 billion in US&nbspsecurity assistance over what Trump said was Islamabad's failure to crack down on Afghan insurgent sanctuaries used for attacks into Afghanistan. A large portion of US&nbspcivilian aid - $265 million in 2017, according to a source at the US&nbspEmbassy in Islamabad – could be withheld if the State Department puts Pakistan on a list of worst global offenders in human trafficking in an annual report due out in June. The funding is relatively modest for the size of Pakistan's economy. But Islamabad could suffer a heavier jolt if Washington also decides to oppose new assistance from international financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. These are all sanctions that the United States, under federal law, can impose on any country receiving the lowest grade on human trafficking unless Trump issues a full or partial waiver. He did so for most countries on last year's blacklist, following a pattern set by recent predecessors who were especially lenient on U.S. allies and partners. By making good on its threat against Pakistan, the Trump administration would raise questions about whether it was using the Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report to pressure Islamabad to do more on counter-terrorism. The report is not supposed to be influenced by other geopolitical considerations, but human rights groups accused the Trump administration last year, and the Obama administration before it, of sometimes prioritizing economic and security interests over human trafficking concerns. Pakistani Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal told Reuters the country has "taken very stringent steps" against human trafficking and the issue "should not be used for political means to pressurize countries." A senior Trump administration official said no decision on the ranking has been made, but that Pakistan, long an uneasy US&nbspally, has been told it can avoid a lower ranking - and a possible aid cut - only “if we see them making sincere efforts to address the problems that have been raised." The U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied any link between Pakistan’s cooperation with Trump’s strategy to force the Afghan Taliban into peace talks and the possible loss of U.S. civilian assistance, stressing that any TIP decision would be based solely on Islamabad’s human trafficking record. The State Department declined to comment, except to cite the penalties available under the US&nbspanti-human trafficking law. Pakistan has long rejected U.S. accusations that it provides Afghan Taliban and allied Haqqani network militants with sanctuaries from which they attack the Kabul government and U.S.-led foreign forces in Afghanistan. CIVILIAN AID HANGS IN BALANCE Future civilian aid hinges on Pakistan's rating in the State Department’s 2018 TIP report, an assessment of how more than 180 countries and territories are fighting human smuggling, modern slavery and related issues like child soldiers. Pakistan has been on the report’s Tier 2 "Watch List" for four years, the limit a country can remain at the second-to-worst ranking. Unless it is upgraded, Pakistan will drop to Tier 3, the lowest rung, alongside Iran, North Korea and Syria, among others. This would trigger the suspension of civilian assistance, except for humanitarian and trade-related aid, unless Trump, who has been stridently critical of Pakistan, waives the penalties. A Tier 3 rating assesses that a country does not comply with minimum U.S. standards against human trafficking. Pakistan has struggled to eradicate bonded labour practices, especially in dirty brick kilns where children often work. Iqbal said Pakistan would soon enact tougher laws. He did not confirm, however, that Washington had warned his government about potential aid cuts related to human trafficking. “This cause is much more valuable than billions of dollars in aid because this is about human dignity," he told Reuters. "There has to be more understanding of the efforts that countries like us are doing." Pakistani officials dismissed the impact of a loss of US&nbspcivilian aid, most of which flows through non-governmental organizations, on the country's growing economy of nearly $300 billion. Still, they have expressed concern that Washington wants international bodies to punish Pakistan for not heeding Trump's South Asia security agenda. &nbspIn February, urged by the United States and European powers, the Financial Action Task Force, a global money-laundering watchdog, placed Pakistan on a terrorist financing watchlist. Pakistan fears Washington could use its vote in the IMF, to which the United States is the largest contributor, to oppose new loans to Islamabad. Pakistan's economic growth has surged to above 5 percent, but many analysts expect Pakistan to seek a new IMF bailout this year due to a ballooning current account deficit and dwindling foreign currency reserves.

Pakistan could face US aid cuts over human trafficking: Sources

Famous Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi&nbsp;got convicted by Patiala court in 2003 immigration&nbsp;case on Friday.

The court later in the day granted Mehndi bail after which he said that he &#39;&#39;will approach the higher court in the matter.&#39;&#39;

The Patiala court sentenced Mehndi to two-year imprisonment for his role in immigration case of 2003 along with his brother.

Mehndi is accused of sending people abroad illegally as members of his dancing troupes in exchange for money as &#39;passage money&#39;.

Daler Mehndi and his brother have allegedly taken two troupes in 1998 and 1999 to the United States during which they took 10 persons to the United States.

Three girls were dropped off at San Fransisco while Daler was on a trip to the US.

In another trip to the United States in October 1999, Mehndi brothers took three boys&nbsp;to New Jersey.

The Patiala police&nbsp;registered a case against Daler Mehndi and Shamsher Singh after which 35 more complaints came up levelling charges of fraud against Mehndi brothers.

Patiala police raided Mehndi&#39;s Delhi office during which case files of&nbsp;people who paid the Mehndi brother the passage money were seized.

In 2006 Patiala police filed two discharge petitions stating Mehndi to be innocent but the court upheld singer&#39;s prosecution saying there are&nbsp;is sufficient pieces of evidence against him and there is scope for further investigation.

&nbsp;

Famous Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi got convicted by Patiala court in 2003 immigration case on Friday

Famous Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi got convicted by Patiala court in 2003 immigration case on Friday. The court later in the day granted Mehndi bail after which he said that he ''will approach the higher court in the matter.'' The Patiala court sentenced Mehndi to two-year imprisonment for his role in immigration case of 2003 along with his brother. Mehndi is accused of sending people abroad illegally as members of his dancing troupes in exchange for money as 'passage money'. Daler Mehndi and his brother have allegedly taken two troupes in 1998 and 1999 to the United States during which they took 10 persons to the United States. Three girls were dropped off at San Fransisco while Daler was on a trip to the US. In another trip to the United States in October 1999, Mehndi brothers took three boys to New Jersey. The Patiala police registered a case against Daler Mehndi and Shamsher Singh after which 35 more complaints came up levelling charges of fraud against Mehndi brothers. Patiala police raided Mehndi's Delhi office during which case files of people who paid the Mehndi brother the passage money were seized. In 2006 Patiala police filed two discharge petitions stating Mehndi to be innocent but the court upheld singer's prosecution saying there are is sufficient pieces of evidence against him and there is scope for further investigation.

All about Daler Mehndi's 2003 illegal immigration case!

Bangladesh police arrested an alleged human trafficker and intercepted two Rohingya refugees preparing to board a boat for Malaysia, officials said today.

Police acting on a tip-off raided a home near the coastal town of Teknaf in southeastern Bangladesh, where five people had assembled ahead of a promised voyage across the Bay of Bengal. Two Rohingya Muslims, both men, were among the group.

The pair had arrived from Myanmar since August, when a surge of violence in Rakhine state forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya across the border.

The other three would-be passengers were Bangladeshi, another police officer said.

&quot;They were herded there as part of an effort to take them to Malaysia. They said they would be taken there by sea,&quot; Teknaf police chief Main Uddin said.

&quot;Among the five, there were two Rohingya men who had already paid 10,000 taka (USD 120) each. The arrested person is being charged with human trafficking.&quot;

The would-be passengers told police they had promised to pay the alleged trafficker, a Bangladeshi, another 200,000 taka each upon arrival in Malaysia.

Since August nearly 650,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled a military operation in Myanmar&#39;s westernmost Rakhine state described by the UN and US as &quot;ethnic cleansing&quot;.

Bangladesh authorities worry many refugees may risk travelling to Southeast Asia by boat, a route once popular among Rohingya seeking economic opportunities outside the grim, long-standing camps in Cox&#39;s Bazar.

People smugglers in recent years have sent tens of thousands of Rohingya from Bangladesh to Malaysia, a Muslim- majority country in Southeast Asia, usually between November and March when seas are calmest.

But these networks were targeted by Bangladesh in 2015 after Thai authorities discovered mass graves and boats overcrowded with thousands of migrants drifted at sea while Southeast Asian nations squabbled over a solution.

Bangladesh police said they were questioning the alleged people smuggler to determine whether he was part of a larger regional trafficking ring.

Bangladesh has arrested dozens of suspected traffickers and broken up networks since the 2015 crackdown, but authorities fear these networks could be revived during the latest Rohingya crisis.

The refugees living in camps in Cox&#39;s Bazar are prohibited from leaving the area, but already aid groups and officials say trafficking networks are targeting the stateless minority.

Bangladesh in recent months has stepped up patrols in coastal areas and fishing villages where traffickers moor their vessels, police say.

&quot;We have zero tolerance toward human trafficking. We are working day and night,&quot; Iqbal Hossain, head of police in Cox&#39;s Bazar district where the Rohingya camps are located, said.

He said police were not aware of a single journey undertaken by a people smuggling vessel in Cox&#39;s Bazar in the previous two years, citing the success of law enforcement efforts.

Police acting on a tip-off raided a home near the coastal town of Teknaf in southeastern Bangladesh, where five people had assembled ahead of a promised voyage across the Bay of Bengal. Two Rohingya Muslims, both men, were among the group

Bangladesh police arrested an alleged human trafficker and intercepted two Rohingya refugees preparing to board a boat for Malaysia, officials said today. Police acting on a tip-off raided a home near the coastal town of Teknaf in southeastern Bangladesh, where five people had assembled ahead of a promised voyage across the Bay of Bengal. Two Rohingya Muslims, both men, were among the group. The pair had arrived from Myanmar since August, when a surge of violence in Rakhine state forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya across the border. The other three would-be passengers were Bangladeshi, another police officer said. "They were herded there as part of an effort to take them to Malaysia. They said they would be taken there by sea," Teknaf police chief Main Uddin said. "Among the five, there were two Rohingya men who had already paid 10,000 taka (USD 120) each. The arrested person is being charged with human trafficking." The would-be passengers told police they had promised to pay the alleged trafficker, a Bangladeshi, another 200,000 taka each upon arrival in Malaysia. Since August nearly 650,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled a military operation in Myanmar's westernmost Rakhine state described by the UN and US as "ethnic cleansing". Bangladesh authorities worry many refugees may risk travelling to Southeast Asia by boat, a route once popular among Rohingya seeking economic opportunities outside the grim, long-standing camps in Cox's Bazar. People smugglers in recent years have sent tens of thousands of Rohingya from Bangladesh to Malaysia, a Muslim- majority country in Southeast Asia, usually between November and March when seas are calmest. But these networks were targeted by Bangladesh in 2015 after Thai authorities discovered mass graves and boats overcrowded with thousands of migrants drifted at sea while Southeast Asian nations squabbled over a solution. Bangladesh police said they were questioning the alleged people smuggler to determine whether he was part of a larger regional trafficking ring. Bangladesh has arrested dozens of suspected traffickers and broken up networks since the 2015 crackdown, but authorities fear these networks could be revived during the latest Rohingya crisis. The refugees living in camps in Cox's Bazar are prohibited from leaving the area, but already aid groups and officials say trafficking networks are targeting the stateless minority. Bangladesh in recent months has stepped up patrols in coastal areas and fishing villages where traffickers moor their vessels, police say. "We have zero tolerance toward human trafficking. We are working day and night," Iqbal Hossain, head of police in Cox's Bazar district where the Rohingya camps are located, said. He said police were not aware of a single journey undertaken by a people smuggling vessel in Cox's Bazar in the previous two years, citing the success of law enforcement efforts.

Bangladesh stops Rohingya preparing to board boat to Malaysia

Anti-terror probe agency NIA could be empowered to investigate cases of human trafficking, in what seems to be a breakthrough in the nearly year-long consultations among various stakeholders, including the home ministry and the ministry of women and child development.

Sources say the additional responsibility for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) would be part of the proposed anti-human trafficking law unveiled by Maneka Gandhi last year.

The move will also require amending the law that gave birth to the counter-terrorism agency -- the National Investigation Act, 2008.

The Draft Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection, and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2016, proposed setting up a National Bureau on Trafficking in Person for &quot;prevention, investigation of the trafficking of persons cases and protection of the victims of trafficking&quot; -- a role which could be performed by the NIA, sources said.

&quot;The ministry of home affairs (MHA) wanted NIA to investigate trafficking and we have agreed to that. MHA has also given its approval for the draft Bill. After we get a green flag from Prime Minister&#39;s Office, a Cabinet note will be circulated,&quot; according to a top official of the ministry of women and child development.

Another official said that &quot;a cell within NIA&quot; could be probing human trafficking cases.

After the Union Cabinet gives its approval, the draft bill will be tabled before Parliament.

&quot;Traffickers enjoy immunity because local police agencies are not able to probe inter-state or cross-border crimes. We require a nodal agency as 80-90 per cent of trafficking cases span across various states,&quot; said President of NGO Shakti Vahini, Ravi Kant, explaining why activists have been seeking a central body to probe human trade.

Government officials say that in order to empower the NIA to investigate trafficking cases the National Investigation Act, 2008, will have to be amended.

The NIA was set up by the previous UPA government in 2009 to probe terrorist activities in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people.

As per the National Investigation Act, the anti-terror body is empowered to probe offences under eight specified laws, including the Atomic Energy Act 1962, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, and the Anti-Hijacking Act 1982.

The proposed anti-human trafficking legislation will be independent of the existing law on trafficking in relation to prostitution -- Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 -- while a section of the civil society has sought an umbrella law.

The draft law divides offences into &quot;trafficking&quot; and &quot;aggravated trafficking&quot;. The punishment for offences in the former category is rigorous imprisonment between 7 and 10 years and a fine of not less than Rs 1 lakh, while aggravated forms of trafficking will invite a jail term of between 10 years and life imprisonment and a fine of not less than Rs 5 lakh.

Aggravated trafficking will include trafficking of children, transgenders, differently-abled, pregnant women and those which involve the use of drugs and alcohol.

There is also a provision for a national committee as well as a central fund for the relief and rehabilitation services for the victims.

Sources say the additional responsibility for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) would be part of the proposed anti-human trafficking law unveiled by Maneka Gandhi last year

Anti-terror probe agency NIA could be empowered to investigate cases of human trafficking, in what seems to be a breakthrough in the nearly year-long consultations among various stakeholders, including the home ministry and the ministry of women and child development. Sources say the additional responsibility for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) would be part of the proposed anti-human trafficking law unveiled by Maneka Gandhi last year. The move will also require amending the law that gave birth to the counter-terrorism agency -- the National Investigation Act, 2008. The Draft Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection, and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2016, proposed setting up a National Bureau on Trafficking in Person for "prevention, investigation of the trafficking of persons cases and protection of the victims of trafficking" -- a role which could be performed by the NIA, sources said. "The ministry of home affairs (MHA) wanted NIA to investigate trafficking and we have agreed to that. MHA has also given its approval for the draft Bill. After we get a green flag from Prime Minister's Office, a Cabinet note will be circulated," according to a top official of the ministry of women and child development. Another official said that "a cell within NIA" could be probing human trafficking cases. After the Union Cabinet gives its approval, the draft bill will be tabled before Parliament. "Traffickers enjoy immunity because local police agencies are not able to probe inter-state or cross-border crimes. We require a nodal agency as 80-90 per cent of trafficking cases span across various states," said President of NGO Shakti Vahini, Ravi Kant, explaining why activists have been seeking a central body to probe human trade. Government officials say that in order to empower the NIA to investigate trafficking cases the National Investigation Act, 2008, will have to be amended. The NIA was set up by the previous UPA government in 2009 to probe terrorist activities in the aftermath of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people. As per the National Investigation Act, the anti-terror body is empowered to probe offences under eight specified laws, including the Atomic Energy Act 1962, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, and the Anti-Hijacking Act 1982. The proposed anti-human trafficking legislation will be independent of the existing law on trafficking in relation to prostitution -- Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 -- while a section of the civil society has sought an umbrella law. The draft law divides offences into "trafficking" and "aggravated trafficking". The punishment for offences in the former category is rigorous imprisonment between 7 and 10 years and a fine of not less than Rs 1 lakh, while aggravated forms of trafficking will invite a jail term of between 10 years and life imprisonment and a fine of not less than Rs 5 lakh. Aggravated trafficking will include trafficking of children, transgenders, differently-abled, pregnant women and those which involve the use of drugs and alcohol. There is also a provision for a national committee as well as a central fund for the relief and rehabilitation services for the victims.

NIA likely to probe human trafficking cases

Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher on Wednesday went to Washington, DC, to testify before Congress about modern slavery during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting.

Kutcher gave a passionate speech on child trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children. &ldquo;The right to pursue happiness, for so many, is stripped away; it&rsquo;s raped; it&rsquo;s abused. It&rsquo;s taken by force, fraud, or coercion. It is sold for the momentary happiness of another,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;

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Kutcher acknowledged that internet trolls tell him to &ldquo;stick to his day job&rdquo;, and not talk about politics. He then went on to clarify what his day job was. &nbsp;&nbsp;

He said his day job was being the chairman and co-founder of Thorn, an organisation that builds software to fight human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children.

He added that as part of his &ldquo;day job&rdquo; he&rsquo;s met trafficking victims in Russia, India, and he&#39;s also met victims trafficked from Mexico.&quot;I&#39;ve been on FBI raids where I&#39;ve seen things that no person should ever see,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

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It&#39;s not just my job, it&#39;s my duty to the global community. Everyone has the right to pursue happiness. <a href="https://t.co/kMJK1SyN6R">https://t.co/kMJK1SyN6R</a>
&mdash; ashton kutcher (@aplusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/aplusk/status/832030387610152961">February 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Kutcher choked up a few times while describing a&nbsp;video&nbsp;in which he saw a child the same age as his own being raped by an American man in Cambodia.&nbsp;The 39-year-old actor is a father of two -- a 2-month-old son and a 2-year-old daughter.

(WION)

'I've been on FBI raids where I've seen things that no person should ever see'

Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher on Wednesday went to Washington, DC, to testify before Congress about modern slavery during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting. Kutcher gave a passionate speech on child trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children. “The right to pursue happiness, for so many, is stripped away; it’s raped; it’s abused. It’s taken by force, fraud, or coercion. It is sold for the momentary happiness of another,” he said. Kutcher acknowledged that internet trolls tell him to “stick to his day job”, and not talk about politics. He then went on to clarify what his day job was. He said his day job was being the chairman and co-founder of Thorn, an organisation that builds software to fight human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children. He added that as part of his “day job” he’s met trafficking victims in Russia, India, and he's also met victims trafficked from Mexico."I've been on FBI raids where I've seen things that no person should ever see," he said. It's not just my job, it's my duty to the global community. Everyone has the right to pursue happiness. https://t.co/kMJK1SyN6R — ashton kutcher (@aplusk) February 16, 2017 × Kutcher choked up a few times while describing a video in which he saw a child the same age as his own being raped by an American man in Cambodia. The 39-year-old actor is a father of two -- a 2-month-old son and a 2-year-old daughter. (WION)

Ashton Kutcher gets emotional testifying about human trafficking, modern slavery

Eight human traffickers found guilty of torturing and chopping off the hands of two labourers have received life prison sentences and hefty fines, a prosecutor said on Sunday, hoping the severity of the punishment would deter others.

Prosecutor Dhirendra Nath Patra said the court in Bhubaneswar heard how the traffickers chopped off the hands of Nilambar Dhangdamajhi and Dayalu Nial in Odisha state on December 15, 2013.

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<h5>Dayalu, who was 17 years old at the time, said they were asked if they would rather have their hands or legs chopped off for not agreeing to the new terms of contract</h5>
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The two men were among of a group of 12 labourers who had taken money from labour agent Parvesh Duni in exchange for working for him but quickly realised he had trapped them.

When the men found out they were being taken to Andhra Pradesh in southeastern India instead of Chhattisgarh state in central India as expected they tried to escape but were caught and locked up for hours before their hands were chopped off.

News of the torture and confinement triggered widespread outrage and made national headlines in India which is estimated to have the highest number of modern-day slaves of any country.

Dhangdamajhi died on September 21 this year after years of illness.

&quot;Under the sentence Parvesh Duni and other traffickers will serve a life term in prison. They will also have to pay fines,&quot; the prosecutor told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. &quot;This is a lesson for all.&quot;

Amidst the publicity, in 2014 the Supreme Court intervened and asked the Odisha government to fast track charges against the traffickers and provide rehabilitation for the two men whose stories are typical of many trapped in debt bondage in India.

Modern slavery has become a catch-all term to describe human trafficking, debt bondage, forced marriage and other slave-like exploitation with an estimated 46 million people in slavery around the world.

Dhangdamajhi was 32 when he took a loan of 14,000 rupees ($209) from labour agent Duni and agreed to work at a brick kiln in 2013.

But he was taken to a paddy field, kept under house arrest and made to work for his traffickers who demanded he pay back the advance taken by all 12 labourers if he wanted to go home.

Dayalu, who was 17 years old at the time, earlier told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that they were asked if they would rather have their hands or legs chopped off for not agreeing to the new terms of contract.

Patra said nine men were accused of the abuse and eight of these were arrested and were now in jail.

A ninth man absconded ahead of the hearing that started in October last year and finished in March this year but he had been arrested recently and would now face trial.

Authorities have freed around 282,000 workers trapped in bonded labour in 18 states in India since 1978, according to government data, although non-government organisations question these figures and the real extent of debt bondage in India.

(Reuters)

One of the victims died in September this year after years of illness

Eight human traffickers found guilty of torturing and chopping off the hands of two labourers have received life prison sentences and hefty fines, a prosecutor said on Sunday, hoping the severity of the punishment would deter others. Prosecutor Dhirendra Nath Patra said the court in Bhubaneswar heard how the traffickers chopped off the hands of Nilambar Dhangdamajhi and Dayalu Nial in Odisha state on December 15, 2013. Dayalu, who was 17 years old at the time, said they were asked if they would rather have their hands or legs chopped off for not agreeing to the new terms of contract × The two men were among of a group of 12 labourers who had taken money from labour agent Parvesh Duni in exchange for working for him but quickly realised he had trapped them. When the men found out they were being taken to Andhra Pradesh in southeastern India instead of Chhattisgarh state in central India as expected they tried to escape but were caught and locked up for hours before their hands were chopped off. News of the torture and confinement triggered widespread outrage and made national headlines in India which is estimated to have the highest number of modern-day slaves of any country. Dhangdamajhi died on September 21 this year after years of illness. "Under the sentence Parvesh Duni and other traffickers will serve a life term in prison. They will also have to pay fines," the prosecutor told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "This is a lesson for all." Amidst the publicity, in 2014 the Supreme Court intervened and asked the Odisha government to fast track charges against the traffickers and provide rehabilitation for the two men whose stories are typical of many trapped in debt bondage in India. Modern slavery has become a catch-all term to describe human trafficking, debt bondage, forced marriage and other slave-like exploitation with an estimated 46 million people in slavery around the world. Dhangdamajhi was 32 when he took a loan of 14,000 rupees ($209) from labour agent Duni and agreed to work at a brick kiln in 2013. But he was taken to a paddy field, kept under house arrest and made to work for his traffickers who demanded he pay back the advance taken by all 12 labourers if he wanted to go home. Dayalu, who was 17 years old at the time, earlier told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that they were asked if they would rather have their hands or legs chopped off for not agreeing to the new terms of contract. Patra said nine men were accused of the abuse and eight of these were arrested and were now in jail. A ninth man absconded ahead of the hearing that started in October last year and finished in March this year but he had been arrested recently and would now face trial. Authorities have freed around 282,000 workers trapped in bonded labour in 18 states in India since 1978, according to government data, although non-government organisations question these figures and the real extent of debt bondage in India. (Reuters)

India: 8 traffickers get life for torturing, chopping off two labourers' hands

Egyptian prosecutors on Thursday remanded four men in custody over suspicion of human trafficking following Wednesday&rsquo;s incident of a migrant boat capsizing. 
 
Judicial and security officials informed that dozens are feared to have drowned in the incident. 
 
The suspects are accused of human trafficking and involuntary manslaughter, officials said. 
 
So far, 42 bodies have been recovered from the sea off the Egyptian coast while 163 people were saved. 
 
The European Union&rsquo;s border agency Frontex had a few months ago warned that the growing number of Europe-bound migrants had been turning to Egypt before setting on their sea voyage. 
 
Traffickers have been known to often use vessels that are in a poor condition and overload them for the fares. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Egyptian officials said that the four are accused of human trafficking and involuntary manslaughter

Egyptian prosecutors on Thursday remanded four men in custody over suspicion of human trafficking following Wednesday’s incident of a migrant boat capsizing. Judicial and security officials informed that dozens are feared to have drowned in the incident. The suspects are accused of human trafficking and involuntary manslaughter, officials said. So far, 42 bodies have been recovered from the sea off the Egyptian coast while 163 people were saved. The European Union’s border agency Frontex had a few months ago warned that the growing number of Europe-bound migrants had been turning to Egypt before setting on their sea voyage. Traffickers have been known to often use vessels that are in a poor condition and overload them for the fares. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Egypt holds 4 suspected traffickers over capsized migrant boat

A Thai court sentenced an alleged kingpin to 35 years in prison today for smuggling and trafficking Rohingya migrants from Myanmar. 
 
On Wednesday, a court in southern Nakhon Si Thammarat province found Sunand Saengthong guilty of human trafficking and enslavement. 
 
&quot;Overall he was sentenced to 35 years and a fine of 660,000 baht ($19,000),&quot; a spokesman at Pak Phanang provincial court told AFP. 
 
&quot;We didn&#39;t think that the court was going to come down this hard, with 35 years. The punishment was more than we had expected,&quot; Janjira Janpaew, a human rights lawyer was quoted as saying by Reuters. 
 
Sunand&#39;s two other accomplices Suriya Yodrak and Warachai Chadathong were found guilty of lesser crimes and sentenced to one year and six months in jail respectively. They were sentenced for illegally bringing aliens into Thailand. 
 
&quot;Witness testimonies in court found that money from the human trafficking gang was transferred to Sunand&#39;s bank account,&quot; the court statement said, adding that he was &quot;a mastermind of Rohingya trafficking&quot; in the south. 
 
Sunand was arrested after a police raid in January led to the discovery of 98 Rohingya men, women and children, of which 42 were boys and girls younger than 14 years of age. The Asian Human Rights Commission said the migrants crammed in so tight that some had suffocated to death. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
There are at least eight other court cases related to the Rohingya trafficking rings, according to the Migrant Working Group, which is monitoring the cases. One of the major ongoing trials includes at least 88 defendants and some 500 witnesses. 
 
Around one million Rohingya live in western Rakhine state, where they are forced to live in apartheid-like conditions and are denied citizenship. The Rohingya face persecution and poverty in Myanmar, and after deadly religious violence erupted there in 2012, tens of thousands began fleeing by boat in an effort to get to Malaysia. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)

Sunand Saengthong was arrested after a police raid in January led to the discovery of 98 Rohingya migrants of whom more than 40 were minors

A Thai court sentenced an alleged kingpin to 35 years in prison today for smuggling and trafficking Rohingya migrants from Myanmar. On Wednesday, a court in southern Nakhon Si Thammarat province found Sunand Saengthong guilty of human trafficking and enslavement. "Overall he was sentenced to 35 years and a fine of 660,000 baht ($19,000)," a spokesman at Pak Phanang provincial court told AFP. "We didn't think that the court was going to come down this hard, with 35 years. The punishment was more than we had expected," Janjira Janpaew, a human rights lawyer was quoted as saying by Reuters. Sunand's two other accomplices Suriya Yodrak and Warachai Chadathong were found guilty of lesser crimes and sentenced to one year and six months in jail respectively. They were sentenced for illegally bringing aliens into Thailand. "Witness testimonies in court found that money from the human trafficking gang was transferred to Sunand's bank account," the court statement said, adding that he was "a mastermind of Rohingya trafficking" in the south. Sunand was arrested after a police raid in January led to the discovery of 98 Rohingya men, women and children, of which 42 were boys and girls younger than 14 years of age. The Asian Human Rights Commission said the migrants crammed in so tight that some had suffocated to death. There are at least eight other court cases related to the Rohingya trafficking rings, according to the Migrant Working Group, which is monitoring the cases. One of the major ongoing trials includes at least 88 defendants and some 500 witnesses. Around one million Rohingya live in western Rakhine state, where they are forced to live in apartheid-like conditions and are denied citizenship. The Rohingya face persecution and poverty in Myanmar, and after deadly religious violence erupted there in 2012, tens of thousands began fleeing by boat in an effort to get to Malaysia. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Thai kingpin sentenced to 35 years for trafficking Rohingya migrants

Volunteers have recovered the bodies of 41 presumed migrants that washed up on a Libyan beach, an official from the coastal city of Sabratha said today. 
 
The bodies, found on Saturday on the city&#39;s beach west of the capital Tripoli, were taken to the morgue for DNA testing before being buried, the official said. 
 
&quot;We think that these are people who drowned five or six days ago,&quot; added the official who did not wish to be identified. 
 
He said that normally one or two bodies a day were found and that 41 in just one day is &quot;an exceptionally high number&quot;. 
 
The group of volunteers who found the bodies was trained by Sabratha city council in mid-July to look for victims of people smugglers, the official said. 
 
Illegal migration from Libya booms in the summer months when the Mediterranean is generally calm and traffickers pack unsafe boats with migrants desperate to start a new life in Europe. 
 
People smugglers have taken advantage of the chaos gripping Libya since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi to boost their lucrative business. 
 
They cram migrants into boats that are small and unsafe for the perilous journey to Italy just 300 kilometres from Libya&#39;s shores. 
 
Thousands of migrants try each year to make the sea crossing but many drown. 
 
More than 10,000 migrants bound for Europe, mostly sub-Saharan Africans, have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since 2014, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 
 
(AFP)

The people drowned five or six days ago, officials presumed, adding that 41 in just one day is 'an exceptionally high number'

Volunteers have recovered the bodies of 41 presumed migrants that washed up on a Libyan beach, an official from the coastal city of Sabratha said today. The bodies, found on Saturday on the city's beach west of the capital Tripoli, were taken to the morgue for DNA testing before being buried, the official said. "We think that these are people who drowned five or six days ago," added the official who did not wish to be identified. He said that normally one or two bodies a day were found and that 41 in just one day is "an exceptionally high number". The group of volunteers who found the bodies was trained by Sabratha city council in mid-July to look for victims of people smugglers, the official said. Illegal migration from Libya booms in the summer months when the Mediterranean is generally calm and traffickers pack unsafe boats with migrants desperate to start a new life in Europe. People smugglers have taken advantage of the chaos gripping Libya since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi to boost their lucrative business. They cram migrants into boats that are small and unsafe for the perilous journey to Italy just 300 kilometres from Libya's shores. Thousands of migrants try each year to make the sea crossing but many drown. More than 10,000 migrants bound for Europe, mostly sub-Saharan Africans, have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean since 2014, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (AFP)

41 bodies wash up on Libya beach

When the US government last week raised the Philippines to its highest ranking in a report that assesses how much countries are battling human trafficking, putting it alongside the likes of Britain, Switzerland and Australia, the decision was questioned by aid workers in the Asian nation. 
 
They said they weren&#39;t convinced it was justified given that the Philippines has a huge sex industry spreading online, and many of the 10 million Filipinos working overseas, often as domestic workers, remain at risk of slavery as they attempt to flee poverty at home. 
 
&quot;In a nutshell, the fight to end human trafficking and modern slavery is far from over,&quot; said Maria Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, executive director of the Visayan Forum Foundation, a non-government organisation helping victims of human trafficking in the Philippines. 
 
&quot;The thing is, when you are hungry or when your child is sick, you tend to make uninformed decisions. This, coupled by a culture of migration, poses risks of exploitation and abuse.&quot; 
 
The US State Department&#39;s 2016 &quot;Trafficking in Persons&quot; (TIP) report said the Philippines government &quot;fully met&quot; minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, although it noted that forced labour and sex trafficking &quot;remains a significant problem&quot;. 
 
The Philippines is one of Washington&#39;s key allies in Asia. 
 
Darlene Pajarito, executive director of the Philippine government&#39;s Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), said the upgrading of the Philippines was a recognition of the work it had done to combat trafficking over the years. 
 
&quot;Tier 1 does not mean the Philippines is already free of trafficking,&quot; she said. &quot;There are still cases and these are still happening but we have increased government&rsquo;s capacity to stop illegal activities, put more people in prison and make more people aware of trafficking.&quot; 
 
IACAT&#39;s 2015 annual report, on which the State Department&#39;s decision was based, according to Pajarito, says more than 700 victims were rescued from trafficking last year in the Philippines. Nearly 300 people were arrested for trafficking offences. 
 
Hong Kong downgraded 
 
The US also last week downgraded the Chinese territory of Hong Kong, one of the most affluent cities in Asia, to a Tier 2 &quot;watchlist&quot; alongside countries like Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, meaning it did not meet minimum standards in protecting victims of trafficking. 
 
The Hong Kong government said it rejected the State Department&#39;s grading. China is also on the Tier 2 watchlist. 
 
The report has been criticised in the past for being politicised but Secretary of State John Kerry said ranking decisions were not influenced by politics or other factors. &quot;There are some tough calls. In the end they come down to an element of discretion, but not much,&quot; he said. 
 
Eni Lestari, an activist who campaigns for the rights of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong, said while the territory could do more to substantially beef up its anti-trafficking laws, she found the rankings odd. 
 
&quot;Compared to other countries, to some extent sometimes it (Hong Kong&rsquo;s ranking) seems unfair.&quot; she said. &quot;We sometimes don&#39;t have a clue what is the basis of the US ranking.&quot; 
 
The US consul-general in Hong Kong, Clifford Hart, said the territory had a strong tradition of the rule of law but its standards on preventing trafficking needed to be brought up to international level. 
 
&quot;International anti-trafficking standards have evolved,&quot; he said. &quot;Standing still is slipping backward in the face of a growing global challenge.&quot; 
 
Cyber sex dens 
 
In Manila, the Visayan Foundation runs a halfway house for victims of trafficking in an eastern suburb. 
 
When Reuters visited the house this week, 46 minors rescued from prostitution and cyber-sex dens were living in the house. 
 
Among them was a 12-year-old who was rescued in a joint operation by Philippine police and US authorities in March this year. Her mother was selling her to a Japanese man who was caught because US agents were monitoring his e-mails. The man hanged himself in custody, local officials said. 
 
&quot;As long as you have an internet connection and webcam, you can easily operate cyber-sex dens,&quot; said Karen Nebara, a social worker at the halfway house. &quot;These cases are tougher to crack because the victims could be the children of cyber-sex operators.&quot; 
 
Flores-Oebanda said the higher ranking didn&#39;t mean the problem was solved. 
 
&quot;A Tier 1 ranking doesn&#39;t mean we have no human trafficking problem,&quot; she said. &quot;Next year, we also need to demonstrate measurable progress to retain this ranking.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Philippines has a huge sex industry spreading online, and many of the 10 million Filipinos working overseas remain at risk of slavery

When the US government last week raised the Philippines to its highest ranking in a report that assesses how much countries are battling human trafficking, putting it alongside the likes of Britain, Switzerland and Australia, the decision was questioned by aid workers in the Asian nation. They said they weren't convinced it was justified given that the Philippines has a huge sex industry spreading online, and many of the 10 million Filipinos working overseas, often as domestic workers, remain at risk of slavery as they attempt to flee poverty at home. "In a nutshell, the fight to end human trafficking and modern slavery is far from over," said Maria Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, executive director of the Visayan Forum Foundation, a non-government organisation helping victims of human trafficking in the Philippines. "The thing is, when you are hungry or when your child is sick, you tend to make uninformed decisions. This, coupled by a culture of migration, poses risks of exploitation and abuse." The US State Department's 2016 "Trafficking in Persons" (TIP) report said the Philippines government "fully met" minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, although it noted that forced labour and sex trafficking "remains a significant problem". The Philippines is one of Washington's key allies in Asia. Darlene Pajarito, executive director of the Philippine government's Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT), said the upgrading of the Philippines was a recognition of the work it had done to combat trafficking over the years. "Tier 1 does not mean the Philippines is already free of trafficking," she said. "There are still cases and these are still happening but we have increased government’s capacity to stop illegal activities, put more people in prison and make more people aware of trafficking." IACAT's 2015 annual report, on which the State Department's decision was based, according to Pajarito, says more than 700 victims were rescued from trafficking last year in the Philippines. Nearly 300 people were arrested for trafficking offences. Hong Kong downgraded The US also last week downgraded the Chinese territory of Hong Kong, one of the most affluent cities in Asia, to a Tier 2 "watchlist" alongside countries like Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, meaning it did not meet minimum standards in protecting victims of trafficking. The Hong Kong government said it rejected the State Department's grading. China is also on the Tier 2 watchlist. The report has been criticised in the past for being politicised but Secretary of State John Kerry said ranking decisions were not influenced by politics or other factors. "There are some tough calls. In the end they come down to an element of discretion, but not much," he said. Eni Lestari, an activist who campaigns for the rights of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong, said while the territory could do more to substantially beef up its anti-trafficking laws, she found the rankings odd. "Compared to other countries, to some extent sometimes it (Hong Kong’s ranking) seems unfair." she said. "We sometimes don't have a clue what is the basis of the US ranking." The US consul-general in Hong Kong, Clifford Hart, said the territory had a strong tradition of the rule of law but its standards on preventing trafficking needed to be brought up to international level. "International anti-trafficking standards have evolved," he said. "Standing still is slipping backward in the face of a growing global challenge." Cyber sex dens In Manila, the Visayan Foundation runs a halfway house for victims of trafficking in an eastern suburb. When Reuters visited the house this week, 46 minors rescued from prostitution and cyber-sex dens were living in the house. Among them was a 12-year-old who was rescued in a joint operation by Philippine police and US authorities in March this year. Her mother was selling her to a Japanese man who was caught because US agents were monitoring his e-mails. The man hanged himself in custody, local officials said. "As long as you have an internet connection and webcam, you can easily operate cyber-sex dens," said Karen Nebara, a social worker at the halfway house. "These cases are tougher to crack because the victims could be the children of cyber-sex operators." Flores-Oebanda said the higher ranking didn't mean the problem was solved. "A Tier 1 ranking doesn't mean we have no human trafficking problem," she said. "Next year, we also need to demonstrate measurable progress to retain this ranking." (Reuters)

In Asia, US country rankings on human trafficking raise eyebrows

Charities and activists have criticised the draft of India`s first anti-human trafficking law, saying the proposed legislation is flawed and does not address all aspects of the fast-growing crime. 
 
The Trafficking of Persons bill, unveiled in May, seeks to unify India`s existing anti-trafficking laws, prioritise survivors&#39; needs and provide for special courts to expedite cases. 
 
Consultations on the draft bill ended last week, and women and child rights campaigners have demanded numerous revisions. 
 
&quot;The new law will only create confusion among those working on the ground because it doesn&#39;t list out all trafficking offences, and does not take into account existing legislations,&quot; said PM Nair, chair professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, and an expert on human trafficking. 
 
&quot;The bill in its current form is a disaster. It needs to be re-drafted completely,&quot; he said. 
 
South Asia, with India at its centre, is the fastest-growing and the second-largest region for human trafficking after East Asia, according to the UN Office for Drugs and Crime. 
 
While there are no official figures on the number of people trafficked within South Asia, activists say thousands of mostly women and children are trafficked in India, as well as from its poorer neighbours Nepal and Bangladesh. 
 
Many are sold into forced marriage or bonded labour to work in fields, factories, brick kilns and as domestic servants, or are brutally confined in brothels. 
 
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, there were 5,466 human trafficking cases registered in India in 2014, an increase of 90 per cent over the past five years. Activists say this is a gross underestimate. 
 
The bill does not define terms including &quot;trafficking&quot; and &quot;sexual exploitation&quot;, and does not go far enough to ensure prevention of the crime or the rehabilitation of survivors, the National Coalition to Protect our Children (NCPOC) said in a letter to Maneka Gandhi, the minister for women and child development. 
 
&quot;The Bill in its present form does not create a deterrence for the crime of trafficking,&quot; it said in the letter. 
 
The draft also does not include bonded labour as a form of trafficking, and ignores the important role of the anti-human trafficking units set up nationwide from 2006 to fight the crime, human rights group International Justice Mission (IJM) said in its recommendations. 
 
There must be coordination with existing laws such as the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, the Juvenile Justice Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act to make sure the new law is effective, IJM said.&nbsp; 
 
The deadline for feedback on the bill was June 30, although some campaigners have called for an extension. It will now go to government ministries for their recommendations.&nbsp; 
 
A final bill could be brought before the parliament by the end of the year, Gandhi has said.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters)

The law in its present form does not create a deterrence for the crime, the National Coalition to Protect our Children said

Charities and activists have criticised the draft of India`s first anti-human trafficking law, saying the proposed legislation is flawed and does not address all aspects of the fast-growing crime. The Trafficking of Persons bill, unveiled in May, seeks to unify India`s existing anti-trafficking laws, prioritise survivors' needs and provide for special courts to expedite cases. Consultations on the draft bill ended last week, and women and child rights campaigners have demanded numerous revisions. "The new law will only create confusion among those working on the ground because it doesn't list out all trafficking offences, and does not take into account existing legislations," said PM Nair, chair professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, and an expert on human trafficking. "The bill in its current form is a disaster. It needs to be re-drafted completely," he said. South Asia, with India at its centre, is the fastest-growing and the second-largest region for human trafficking after East Asia, according to the UN Office for Drugs and Crime. While there are no official figures on the number of people trafficked within South Asia, activists say thousands of mostly women and children are trafficked in India, as well as from its poorer neighbours Nepal and Bangladesh. Many are sold into forced marriage or bonded labour to work in fields, factories, brick kilns and as domestic servants, or are brutally confined in brothels. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, there were 5,466 human trafficking cases registered in India in 2014, an increase of 90 per cent over the past five years. Activists say this is a gross underestimate. The bill does not define terms including "trafficking" and "sexual exploitation", and does not go far enough to ensure prevention of the crime or the rehabilitation of survivors, the National Coalition to Protect our Children (NCPOC) said in a letter to Maneka Gandhi, the minister for women and child development. "The Bill in its present form does not create a deterrence for the crime of trafficking," it said in the letter. The draft also does not include bonded labour as a form of trafficking, and ignores the important role of the anti-human trafficking units set up nationwide from 2006 to fight the crime, human rights group International Justice Mission (IJM) said in its recommendations. There must be coordination with existing laws such as the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act, the Juvenile Justice Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act to make sure the new law is effective, IJM said. The deadline for feedback on the bill was June 30, although some campaigners have called for an extension. It will now go to government ministries for their recommendations. A final bill could be brought before the parliament by the end of the year, Gandhi has said. (Reuters)

India's first anti-human trafficking draft bill a disaster: campaigners

Human traffickers, who are finding increasingly creative ways to shuttle Central American migrants through Mexico to the US&nbsp;border, have begun to use the Uber ride-sharing service. 
 
On June 10, five vehicles carrying 34 Central American migrants were apprehended while traveling together between the northern Mexican states of Zacatecas and Coahuila, said Segismundo Doguin, a Coahuila state official at the National Migration Institute (INM). 
 
Four of the vehicles were linked to the Uber Technologies Inc platform, Doguin said, but it was unclear whether the human smugglers had hailed the drivers using the Uber app. The drivers said they weren&#39;t the owners of the cars but worked as Uber chauffeurs, he said. 
 
There has been a sharp rise in the number of Central American children and families trying to reach the United States this year, a hot button issue in the US&nbsp;presidential race. Republican candidate Donald Trump has vowed to build a wall along the US-Mexican border to keep them out. 
 
Mexican migration officials attribute the increase to migrants finding new routes past checkpoints, increasingly through varied forms of transport. 
 
&quot;First we saw them on trains, then on buses, then on trucks and today we see them in rented vehicles,&quot; Doguin told Reuters by telephone on Wednesday. 
 
The drivers left the northern Mexican city of Monterrey and picked up the migrants in Matehuala, 323 kilometers (201 miles) further south, Doguin said. The caravan was headed for the city of Reynosa, 551 kilometers (342 miles) north, on the border with Texas. 
 
The migrants told investigators they each paid 3,000 pesos ($162) to make the journey, Doguin said. 
 
Uber Mexico said in a statement it bore no responsibility, but was cooperating with authorities. 
 
&quot;The company does not own the cars registered on the platform, nor does it employ the drivers, who are independent contractors,&quot; Uber said. 
 
Only three of the drivers were registered in the database, Uber said. One of them was dismissed nine months ago for unrelated reasons. The other two were discharged when the INM flagged the situation, the company said. 
 
This is not the first time Uber cars have been used to ferry migrants, Doguin said. 
 
&quot;About two months ago, seven other vehicles were detected in the area of San Luis Potosi state and were also in the Uber system,&quot; he said.

(Reuters)

There has been a rise in the number of Central American children and families trying to reach the United States this year

Human traffickers, who are finding increasingly creative ways to shuttle Central American migrants through Mexico to the US border, have begun to use the Uber ride-sharing service. On June 10, five vehicles carrying 34 Central American migrants were apprehended while traveling together between the northern Mexican states of Zacatecas and Coahuila, said Segismundo Doguin, a Coahuila state official at the National Migration Institute (INM). Four of the vehicles were linked to the Uber Technologies Inc platform, Doguin said, but it was unclear whether the human smugglers had hailed the drivers using the Uber app. The drivers said they weren't the owners of the cars but worked as Uber chauffeurs, he said. There has been a sharp rise in the number of Central American children and families trying to reach the United States this year, a hot button issue in the US presidential race. Republican candidate Donald Trump has vowed to build a wall along the US-Mexican border to keep them out. Mexican migration officials attribute the increase to migrants finding new routes past checkpoints, increasingly through varied forms of transport. "First we saw them on trains, then on buses, then on trucks and today we see them in rented vehicles," Doguin told Reuters by telephone on Wednesday. The drivers left the northern Mexican city of Monterrey and picked up the migrants in Matehuala, 323 kilometers (201 miles) further south, Doguin said. The caravan was headed for the city of Reynosa, 551 kilometers (342 miles) north, on the border with Texas. The migrants told investigators they each paid 3,000 pesos ($162) to make the journey, Doguin said. Uber Mexico said in a statement it bore no responsibility, but was cooperating with authorities. "The company does not own the cars registered on the platform, nor does it employ the drivers, who are independent contractors," Uber said. Only three of the drivers were registered in the database, Uber said. One of them was dismissed nine months ago for unrelated reasons. The other two were discharged when the INM flagged the situation, the company said. This is not the first time Uber cars have been used to ferry migrants, Doguin said. "About two months ago, seven other vehicles were detected in the area of San Luis Potosi state and were also in the Uber system," he said. (Reuters)

Human traffickers smuggle migrants to US-Mexico border in Uber share-rides

The United States has decided to place Myanmar on its global list of worst offenders in human trafficking, officials said, a move aimed at prodding the country&rsquo;s new democratically elected government and its still-powerful military to do more to curb the use of child soldiers and forced labour. 
 
The reprimand of Myanmar comes despite US efforts to court the strategically important country to help counteract China&rsquo;s rise in the region and build a Southeast Asian bulwark against Beijing&rsquo;s territorial assertiveness in the South China Sea. 
 
Myanmar&rsquo;s demotion, part of the State Department&rsquo;s closely watched annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report due to be released on Thursday, also appears intended to send a message of US concern about continued widespread persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority in the Buddhist-majority nation. 
 
The country&rsquo;s new leader, democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, has been criticised internationally for neglecting the Rohingya issue since her administration took office this year. 
 
Washington has faced a complex balancing act over Myanmar, a former military dictatorship that has emerged from decades of international isolation since launching sweeping political changes in 2011. 
 
President Barack Obama&rsquo;s diplomatic opening to Myanmar is widely seen as a key foreign policy achievement as he enters his final seven months in office, but even as he has eased some sanctions he has kept others in place to maintain leverage for further reforms. 
 
At the same time, Washington wants to keep Myanmar from slipping back into China&rsquo;s orbit at a time when US officials are trying to forge a unified regional front. 
 
The US decision to drop Myanmar to &ldquo;Tier 3,&rdquo; the lowest grade, putting it alongside countries like Iran, North Korea and Syria, was confirmed by a US official in Washington and a Bangkok-based official from an international organisation informed of the move. Another person familiar with the matter said: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to turn you away from this conclusion.&rdquo; All spoke on condition of anonymity. 
 
A Tier 3 rating can trigger sanctions limiting access to US and international aid. But US presidents frequently waive such action. 
 
The decision on Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, was one of the most hotly contested in this year&rsquo;s report, and followed concerns that some assessments in last year&rsquo;s human trafficking report were watered down for political reasons. 
 
There was intense internal debate between senior US diplomats who wanted to reward Myanmar for progress on political reforms and US human rights experts who argued that not enough was being done to curb human trafficking, the US official said. 
 
A Reuters investigation published last August found that senior diplomats repeatedly overruled the State Department&rsquo;s anti-trafficking unit and inflated the grades of 14 strategically important countries. The State Department denied any political considerations but US lawmakers called for reforms in the decision-making process. 
 
This year&rsquo;s decision on Myanmar marked a win for the State Department&rsquo;s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, which was set up to independently grade countries&rsquo; efforts to prevent modern slavery, such as the illegal trade in humans for forced labour or prostitution. 
 
Because Myanmar had been on the so-called &ldquo;Tier 2 Watch List&rdquo; for the maximum four years permitted by law, the State Department either had to justify an upgrade or else automatically downgrade it. A Tier 3 ranking means that anti-trafficking efforts do not meet &ldquo;minimum standards&rdquo; and it is &ldquo;not making significant efforts to do so.&rdquo; 
 
State Department spokesman John Kirby said: &ldquo;We will not comment on the contents of this year&rsquo;s report until after the report is released.&rdquo; 
 
 
Child soldiers 
 
Deliberations on Myanmar&rsquo;s record focused heavily on efforts to halt the military&#39;s recruitment and use of child soldiers as well as forced labour, especially the coercion of local villagers to perform some work. Such practices have been documented by international human rights groups and are also outlined in last year&#39;s State Department report. 
 
A key issue that the U.S. administration considered before Myanmar&rsquo;s downgrade was alleged government complicity in human trafficking, including its failure to prosecute any civilian officials for their involvement in it, according to the person familiar with the situation. While the Myanmar military is credited with significant progress toward curbing the use of child soldiers, such as allowing international inspections of military bases, there was no indication the problem had been completely eradicated as the U.S. anti-trafficking office had urged, the source said.Human rights groups had lobbied U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry against upgrading Myanmar, saying it would be unearned. 
 
The diplomatic blow to Myanmar&rsquo;s government could be softened by the fact that the TIP report covered efforts during the year ending in March, under the previous administration of former junta general Thein Sein. 
 
Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate, assumed her government role in April, after her party won the country&rsquo;s first democratic elections in five decades. 
 
But with the generals still controlling three security ministries and holding a lock on 25 percent of seats in parliament, U.S. officials grappled with whether a downgrade could undermine cooperation from the military against human trafficking. 
 
For her part, Suu Kyi has recently unsettled U.S. officials by calling on them not to use the term &ldquo;Rohingya&rdquo; to refer to the Muslim minority in the country&rsquo;s north. Many in Myanmar refer to them as &quot;Bengalis,&quot; insinuating that they are stateless illegal immigrants. 
 
The United States has urged Myanmar to treat them as citizens. 
 
The 2015 TIP report highlighted that the government&#39;s denial of citizenship to an estimated 800,000 men, women and children in Burma -- the majority of them ethnic Rohingya -- &quot;significantly increased this population&#39;s vulnerability to trafficking&quot;. 
 
&ldquo;The chronic, chronic abuse of the Rohingya has not been dealt with at all,&rdquo; a U.S. congressional aide said, suggesting support on Capitol Hill for a downgrade this year. 
 
(Reuters)

The move is intended to send a message of US concern about continued widespread persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority

The United States has decided to place Myanmar on its global list of worst offenders in human trafficking, officials said, a move aimed at prodding the country’s new democratically elected government and its still-powerful military to do more to curb the use of child soldiers and forced labour. The reprimand of Myanmar comes despite US efforts to court the strategically important country to help counteract China’s rise in the region and build a Southeast Asian bulwark against Beijing’s territorial assertiveness in the South China Sea. Myanmar’s demotion, part of the State Department’s closely watched annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report due to be released on Thursday, also appears intended to send a message of US concern about continued widespread persecution of the Rohingya Muslim minority in the Buddhist-majority nation. The country’s new leader, democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, has been criticised internationally for neglecting the Rohingya issue since her administration took office this year. Washington has faced a complex balancing act over Myanmar, a former military dictatorship that has emerged from decades of international isolation since launching sweeping political changes in 2011. President Barack Obama’s diplomatic opening to Myanmar is widely seen as a key foreign policy achievement as he enters his final seven months in office, but even as he has eased some sanctions he has kept others in place to maintain leverage for further reforms. At the same time, Washington wants to keep Myanmar from slipping back into China’s orbit at a time when US officials are trying to forge a unified regional front. The US decision to drop Myanmar to “Tier 3,” the lowest grade, putting it alongside countries like Iran, North Korea and Syria, was confirmed by a US official in Washington and a Bangkok-based official from an international organisation informed of the move. Another person familiar with the matter said: “I’m not going to turn you away from this conclusion.” All spoke on condition of anonymity. A Tier 3 rating can trigger sanctions limiting access to US and international aid. But US presidents frequently waive such action. The decision on Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, was one of the most hotly contested in this year’s report, and followed concerns that some assessments in last year’s human trafficking report were watered down for political reasons. There was intense internal debate between senior US diplomats who wanted to reward Myanmar for progress on political reforms and US human rights experts who argued that not enough was being done to curb human trafficking, the US official said. A Reuters investigation published last August found that senior diplomats repeatedly overruled the State Department’s anti-trafficking unit and inflated the grades of 14 strategically important countries. The State Department denied any political considerations but US lawmakers called for reforms in the decision-making process. This year’s decision on Myanmar marked a win for the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, which was set up to independently grade countries’ efforts to prevent modern slavery, such as the illegal trade in humans for forced labour or prostitution. Because Myanmar had been on the so-called “Tier 2 Watch List” for the maximum four years permitted by law, the State Department either had to justify an upgrade or else automatically downgrade it. A Tier 3 ranking means that anti-trafficking efforts do not meet “minimum standards” and it is “not making significant efforts to do so.” State Department spokesman John Kirby said: “We will not comment on the contents of this year’s report until after the report is released.” Child soldiers Deliberations on Myanmar’s record focused heavily on efforts to halt the military's recruitment and use of child soldiers as well as forced labour, especially the coercion of local villagers to perform some work. Such practices have been documented by international human rights groups and are also outlined in last year's State Department report. A key issue that the U.S. administration considered before Myanmar’s downgrade was alleged government complicity in human trafficking, including its failure to prosecute any civilian officials for their involvement in it, according to the person familiar with the situation. While the Myanmar military is credited with significant progress toward curbing the use of child soldiers, such as allowing international inspections of military bases, there was no indication the problem had been completely eradicated as the U.S. anti-trafficking office had urged, the source said.Human rights groups had lobbied U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry against upgrading Myanmar, saying it would be unearned. The diplomatic blow to Myanmar’s government could be softened by the fact that the TIP report covered efforts during the year ending in March, under the previous administration of former junta general Thein Sein. Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace laureate, assumed her government role in April, after her party won the country’s first democratic elections in five decades. But with the generals still controlling three security ministries and holding a lock on 25 percent of seats in parliament, U.S. officials grappled with whether a downgrade could undermine cooperation from the military against human trafficking. For her part, Suu Kyi has recently unsettled U.S. officials by calling on them not to use the term “Rohingya” to refer to the Muslim minority in the country’s north. Many in Myanmar refer to them as "Bengalis," insinuating that they are stateless illegal immigrants. The United States has urged Myanmar to treat them as citizens. The 2015 TIP report highlighted that the government's denial of citizenship to an estimated 800,000 men, women and children in Burma -- the majority of them ethnic Rohingya -- "significantly increased this population's vulnerability to trafficking". “The chronic, chronic abuse of the Rohingya has not been dealt with at all,” a U.S. congressional aide said, suggesting support on Capitol Hill for a downgrade this year. (Reuters)

US to place Myanmar on global list of worst offenders in human trafficking

India&#39;s minister for women and children unveiled a draft of the country&#39;s first-ever comprehensive anti-human trafficking law, which would treat survivors as victims in need of assistance and protection rather than as criminals.

South Asia, with India at its centre, is the fastest-growing and second-largest region for human trafficking in the world, after East Asia, says the U.N. Office for Drugs and Crime.

There are no accurate figures on the number of people trafficked within South Asia, but activists say thousands of them--&nbsp;mostly women and children--&nbsp;are trafficked within India as well as from its poorer neighbours Nepal and Bangladesh.

Many are sold into forced marriage or bonded labour to work in middle class homes as domestic servants, in small shops and hotels or confined to brothels where they are repeatedly raped.

Women&#39;s Minister Maneka Gandhi said the draft bill aims to unify existing anti-trafficking laws, prioritise survivors&#39; needs, and prevent victims such as those found in brothel raids from being arrested and jailed like traffickers.

&quot;The bill shows far more compassion and makes a very clear distinction between the trafficked and the trafficker, which is a nuance that should have been made 60 years ago,&quot; Gandhi said on Monday as she unveiled the draft Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2016.

The draft legislation provides for special courts to expedite trafficking cases, more shelters and a rehabilitation fund to help victims rebuild their lives.

It also provides for anti-trafficking committees - at district, state and central levels - that will oversee prevention, protection and victim rehabilitation.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, there were 5,466 human trafficking cases registered in 2014, an increase of 90 percent over the past five years, though activists say this is a gross underestimate.

Thousands of Indians &ndash; largely poor, rural women and children &ndash; are lured to big cities each year by traffickers who promise good jobs but sell them into domestic or sex work or to industries such as textile workshops.

In many cases, they are unpaid or held in debt bondage. Some go missing, and their families cannot trace them.

Gandhi said the draft bill would strengthen prosecutions and boost the number of convictions by setting up a special investigative agency to coordinate work between states and collect intelligence on trafficking offences.

There is also a provision for the recovery of fines from the convicted in the draft bill, officials said, and victims who are not paid wages while in servitude will be reimbursed.

The draft bill makes providing narcotic drugs or alcohol for the purpose of trafficking, and using chemical substances or hormones for purposes of exploitation offences.

Gandhi said her ministry would be accepting suggestions until June 30 on how to further improve the proposed bill.

It would then go to all the ministries for their feedback. The final bill could be brought before the Indian parliament by the end of the year, she added.

Problem of human trafficking has been on the rise in the South Asian countries. As economies continue to expand, the demand for labor in industries and sex tourism is at an all-time high.

India's minister for women and children unveiled a draft of the country's first-ever comprehensive anti-human trafficking law, which would treat survivors as victims in need of assistance and protection rather than as criminals. South Asia, with India at its centre, is the fastest-growing and second-largest region for human trafficking in the world, after East Asia, says the U.N. Office for Drugs and Crime. There are no accurate figures on the number of people trafficked within South Asia, but activists say thousands of them-- mostly women and children-- are trafficked within India as well as from its poorer neighbours Nepal and Bangladesh. Many are sold into forced marriage or bonded labour to work in middle class homes as domestic servants, in small shops and hotels or confined to brothels where they are repeatedly raped. Women's Minister Maneka Gandhi said the draft bill aims to unify existing anti-trafficking laws, prioritise survivors' needs, and prevent victims such as those found in brothel raids from being arrested and jailed like traffickers. "The bill shows far more compassion and makes a very clear distinction between the trafficked and the trafficker, which is a nuance that should have been made 60 years ago," Gandhi said on Monday as she unveiled the draft Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2016. The draft legislation provides for special courts to expedite trafficking cases, more shelters and a rehabilitation fund to help victims rebuild their lives. It also provides for anti-trafficking committees - at district, state and central levels - that will oversee prevention, protection and victim rehabilitation. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, there were 5,466 human trafficking cases registered in 2014, an increase of 90 percent over the past five years, though activists say this is a gross underestimate. Thousands of Indians – largely poor, rural women and children – are lured to big cities each year by traffickers who promise good jobs but sell them into domestic or sex work or to industries such as textile workshops. In many cases, they are unpaid or held in debt bondage. Some go missing, and their families cannot trace them. Gandhi said the draft bill would strengthen prosecutions and boost the number of convictions by setting up a special investigative agency to coordinate work between states and collect intelligence on trafficking offences. There is also a provision for the recovery of fines from the convicted in the draft bill, officials said, and victims who are not paid wages while in servitude will be reimbursed. The draft bill makes providing narcotic drugs or alcohol for the purpose of trafficking, and using chemical substances or hormones for purposes of exploitation offences. Gandhi said her ministry would be accepting suggestions until June 30 on how to further improve the proposed bill. It would then go to all the ministries for their feedback. The final bill could be brought before the Indian parliament by the end of the year, she added.

India unveils first-ever comprehensive draft law on human trafficking

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