12 boys now free from trafficking in South Asia

August 2023

Last month, 12 boys were brought to safety from a jewellery factory by government officials, who’d been trained by IJM.

Local authorities found the boys locked inside a small room. They had been tricked and trafficked 1,000 miles from home.

When they arrived at the factory, the boys had been forced to make jewellery for over 12 hours a day without any safety gear.

Appalled, one of the officials who led the operation expressed, "They were found inside a locked room in an inhumane condition. They cooked, ate, bathed and slept in the same place.”

The owner of the facility absconded on the day of the operation, but the government has already filed a complaint against him for violating laws related to human trafficking.

This successful operation is the outcome of the government’s decision to merge a committee that monitors bonded labour with the expertise of the Child Labour Task Force.

Comprising of government officials and NGO representatives, the two teams have regularly conducted monthly inspections at worksites across this area of South Asia, leading to five successful bonded labour operations this year.  

Commending the work of the government, one of IJM’s staff members stated, “It is great to see that child labour is also seen through the lens of bonded labour. The district administration has taken a firm decision to make its committee vibrant and functional.”  

To protect IJM survivors, we have included photos that do not disclose victims' identities.