Rethinking The Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act Of 1956: A Critical Examination

Parthsarthi Hirani, MIT-WPU

I. Introduction

Human “trafficking is an extensive form of violating human rights, encompassing various types of violations against an individual. It is a vast network of trafficking that is prevalent worldwide and operated by numerous organisations. Human trafficking activity involves the most heinous elements of violating one's rights, such as prostitution, forced labour, and illegal organ donations. Unfortunately, the most vulnerable victims of these crimes are children aged between 0 and 18 years, who are easy to manipulate, abduct, or kidnap. “The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, 2022,” which revealed that children constitute 20% of trafficking victims, and this number is on the rise in 120 countries. The report also showed that a small percentage of victims, namely 0.2%, undergo organ removal, 0.3% are subjected to illegal adoption, 0.9% experience forced marriage, and 10.2% are coerced into carrying out illegal activities. Furthermore, 10.3% of victims suffer from mixed exploitation, while 38.7% and 38.8% of victims endure unlawful forceful sexual intercourse and salve trade for unwilling labour, respectively.”