A Study on Nature and Magnitude of Trafficking in Andhra Pradesh

Trafficking refers to the movement of men, women and children from one place to another through force, coercion or deception into situations of their economic and sexual exploitation. The UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children (known as the Palermo Protocol adopted in November 2000) defines trafficking as: the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or service, slavery or practice similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organ (UNO, 2000). Against this background, the study has been undertaken on nature and magnitude of trafficking in Andhra Pradesh.