For Sashastra Seema Bal, safeguarding the security of the border and promote a sense of security among people living in the border areas are the prime responsibility. Prevention of trans-border crime, smuggling and any other illegal activities becomes their part of the job.

Trafficking of person is a very common crime across India and Nepal. Open and porous borders posed a challenge for border guards to detect, identify and report incidents of trafficking in persons.

Under Swaraksha Anti-Human Trafficking Program, Caritas India  Partner Purvanchal Gramin Seva Samiti (PGSS) has taken several initiatives to combat Human Trafficking through community awareness, stakeholder sensitization, Booth operations at Transition points,  Training & Orientation of Law enforcement agencies, strengthening CBOs and conducting Rescue operations with border forces & Police. In the last three years, partners presence at the border has not only curbed the cross-border Human Trafficking Cases but sensitized different stakeholders who are now actively involved in combatting Human Trafficking.

In the last one year of the pandemic, the partner with all stakeholder had rescued many lives from being Trafficked. Now the issue of Human Trafficking is as much important as other issues like the smuggling of Goods & other items for the law enforcement agencies deployed at border. Recently PGSS was invited by the Shashastra Seema Bal Headquarters at District Maharajganj to conduct a Training & Orientation Program for their Personnel’s so that they can also be well equipped with the skills of identifying of Human Trafficking and can easily identify the Trafficking in Persons & Traffickers for an easy interception at Transition Points. This Training was exclusively designed for the border force team so that they can easily learn the basic procedures when they are at the border & they intercept the suspected travellers.

The Training was facilitated by Partners staff who reflected the participants with Causes of human trafficking that how it happens that a person is being trafficked when they are lured for money & work by the perpetrator and once the individual gets agreed for work he becomes the victims of Human Trafficking. The Border forces were also informed about the prevention component of human trafficking which is one of the major aspects in combatting human trafficking. Under Prevention, the team has created lots of awareness among the vulnerable peoples who are at the threat of being Trafficked. This awareness & sensitization creates an alert among the individuals if they migrate to other places for work. The border forces were informed that Prevention plays an Important Role in combatting the menace of trafficking.

The technique of case identification was shared with the participants to identify prospective victims at the border Transition points. Identification of the Traveler from both the countries is very important for all the personnel’s deployed at Transition points so that suspected people can easily be identified and can be intercepted and saved from being Trafficked.

After the suspected victim of Human Trafficking is identified & rescued, the legal procedure for handling the case is initiated. Proper legal proceedings need to be done against the perpetrator so that it should not have a depraved effect on the victim & his family’s life. The legal Proceedings should be supported by strong evidence against Traffickers so that the cases could be registered as Human Trafficking case by the law enforcement agencies.

This Training & Orientation for SSB Personnel to curb Human Trafficking was very fruitful said Shri Manish Kumar Meena, Deputy Commandant SSB & he assured that the border force is always ready for any action against Human Trafficking to save lives of innocent people who become the victim of Human Trafficking for the need of money & the greed of such people who are involved in this Heinous Crime.