Despite stronger laws and expansion of rescue efforts, a disturbing gap between rescue and prosecution continues to plague India’s fight against human trafficking, especially when it comes to children. This warning echoed across two major events held in Hyderabad to mark the World Day Against Trafficking, as law enforcement officials, members of civil society groups and policymakers called for urgent, time-bound prosecution and stronger coordination among institutions.
At a State-level consultation organised by Just Rights for Children (JRC) along with the Women Safety Wing and Telangana State Legal Services Authority, officials reviewed the current legal and policy framework related to human trafficking in India, called for inter-agency coordination and advocated for a time-bound action plan.
The Legal Services Authority signed an MoU with JRC’s partner, the Association for Voluntary Action, to ensure faster justice, legal support, rehabilitation and compensation for victims.
Between April 2024 and April 2025, the JRC network of 250 NGOs in 418 districts rescued 56,242 trafficked children and initiated over 38,000 legal actions across India. In Telangana alone, 12 JRC partner organisations have rescued more than 44,000 children since 2023, including over 19,000 from trafficking and labour. However, legal action was pursued in only 12,175 of those cases, underlining the troubling enforcement gap.
