It usually begins with hope.
A better job. A chance to travel. An opportunity to provide.
Human trafficking does not start with violence it starts with belief. The belief that this offer is real, that this risk is worth taking, that life on the other side will be kinder. On January 11th, we are reminded that one of the world’s most profitable crimes is also one of its most misunderstood . Because it hides behind normalcy.
At its core, human trafficking is the exploitation of people for profit. It includes forced labour, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, debt bondage, and even forced marriages. Contrary to popular belief, victims are not always abducted, but are recruited, deceived, or coerced through social pressure or most often a false pretense of opportunity.
According to the International Labour Organization, an estimated 50 million people worldwide are living in modern slavery with more than 200,000 detected victims globally each 3 years, while generating over USD 150 billion in illegal profits each year. Stunning numbers, partly because trafficking is rarely visible in the way popular culture portrays it. It does not always involve abduction or physical restraint, but often operates through a streamlined scheme within workplaces, recruitment processes, and migration systems.
Men are commonly exploited in construction, agriculture, fishing, and manufacturing while women and girls make up the majority of those trafficked for sexual exploitation and domestic labour. Children account for nearly one in four trafficking victims, often forced into labour, begging, or criminal activity.
In Navi Mumbai, India, law enforcement’s Anti-Human Trafficking Unit rescued a 16 year old girl from Bangladesh along with five women who had been forced into prostitution at a lodge in Taloja.
At just 13 years old, Tulasa Thapa was kidnapped from her village in Nepal, smuggled into Mumbai, India and sold into prostitution in multiple brothels. She was repeatedly sexually abused and forced to work long hours.
Accounts from investigations into trafficking from Myanmar and Bangladesh to Malaysia describe harrowing conditions where families, including children, were beaten and mistreated during forced migration journeys controlled by traffickers.
Headlines like this aren’t difficult to come across, around the world or around the neighbourhood. Sri Lanka’s experience reflects this broader global reality. Labour migration has long been a critical source of income for many families, mainly through overseas employment. While migration itself is not the problem, weak regulation, deception and lack of protection can turn a picture-perfect opportunity into exploitation.
One of the most concerning aspects of human trafficking is how underreported it remains. Many victims do not come forward due to fear of retaliation, deportation, or social stigma. Others may not even identify their experience as trafficking especially when exploitation occurs under the guise of legitimate work. This silence allows trafficking to continue largely unnoticed, reinforcing the idea that it is rare, when in reality it is simply hidden.
Trafficking does not announce itself. It blends in and this is why awareness is not performative. It is preventive. Awareness is what shifts trafficking from a hidden crime to a recognized injustice.
You do not need to be a policymaker or activist to make a difference. All it takes are a few preventive measures.
- Learn the red flags: Unrealistic salaries, no written contracts, recruiters asking for passport surrender, or pressure to “decide quickly” are warning signs.
- Question before sharing: Be cautious when forwarding overseas job ads or recruitment contacts. One message can start off a dangerous chain.
- Support ethical labour: Choose brands and businesses that are transparent about their supply chains and processes.
- Talk about it: Conversations especially within families considering overseas work can be protective.
- Save local helpline numbers: Even if you never use them, having access matters. Awareness becomes action when timing matters most
Human trafficking thrives on silence, stigma, and the belief that it is “someone else’s problem,” but the introduction of Human Trafficking Awareness Day challenges that belief. This day is not about guilt or fear. It’s a reminder that behind every statistic is a real person who trusted the wrong promise at the wrong time.
When we choose to see trafficking for what it is; not a rare horror but a real and present injustice, we take the first step toward dismantling it. This isn’t about guilt or fear it’s about attention about vigilance.
Paying attention is a small but powerful act that costs nothing. And while it may feel insignificant on its own. it creates the conditions where exploitation can no longer hide.
Because awareness does not end exploitation overnight, but silence ensures it continues.
Written By: –
Rtr. Lisari Kahandage
(Junior Blog Team Member 2025-26)
Design By: –
Rtr. Pravena Rajkumar
( Junior Blog Team Member 2025-26)
