Human trafficking survivors identify gaps in draft Bill, seek community-based rehab

News: Indian Leadership Forum Against Trafficking (ILFAT), a forum set up in 2019 by trafficking survivors, has written to the Ministry of Women and Child Development to identify gaps in the Trafficking in Persons (Prevention, Care and Rehabilitation) draft Bill 2021, which is about to table in the Parliament.

What are the changes demanded by the survivors?

Extend the rehabilitation beyond shelter homes: The survivors demand a community-based rehabilitation model that provides health services, legal aid, income opportunities and other facilities crucial for ensuring “all-round reintegration of victims’’ back into their community and family.

Extended stay: As the victims got often abused when they go back to their homes, survivors themselves want to decide the duration of their stay in protection and rehabilitation homes.

Financially independent:  Survivors wants the government to allocate funds for their education and vocational training so that they can become financially independent.

Investigation: The investigation process took a long time to conclude, and survivors who are the prime witness cannot go home before the proceedings are over. They want their greater say in the rehabilitation process as it was seen often NGOs are reluctant to send survivors back to their communities as they need to show occupancy to be able to get funds.

Source: This post is based on the article “Human trafficking survivors identify gaps in draft Bill, seek community-based rehab” published in the Indian Express on 3rd December 2021.