Washington, June 12: India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka do not meet minimum standards to end prostitution, child labour and other categories of trafficking in human beings but are making "significant efforts" to meet minimum standards, the us state department says in its latest annual 'Trafficking in persons' report.
The report alleges that India is a country of origin, transit and destination for thousands of trafficked persons.
Internal trafficking of women, men, and children for purposes of sexual exploitation, domestic servitude, bonded labour and indentured servitude is widespread. Indian men and women also are put into situations of coerced labour and sometimes slave-like conditions in countries in the Middle East and the west, the report claims.
India is a destination for sex tourists from Europe and the United States. Bangladeshi women are trafficked to India or transited through India en route to Pakistan and the Middle East for purposes of sexual exploitation, domestic servitude and forced labour. Nepalese women and girls are trafficked to India for commercial and sexual exploitation, it alleges.
However, says the report the central and state governments support prevention campaigns. The central government and an international organization signed a 400 million dollar agreement for a five-year programme to prevent trafficking and to assist at-risk children.
Bureau Reoprt
Bureau Report