In 2020, JVI shared the story of sixteen-year-old, Seema*, one of the 12 minor survivors trafficked from Bangladesh to West Bengal, India on pretext of good jobs, but instead, they were forced into the sex trade.
At JVI we share many stories of rescue interventions. Some of these interventions take months to plan while we coordinate with authorities and local partners. Rescue is just the beginning. The road to recovery can take months to years and requires a holistic approach from multiple partners and service providers.
After this particular rescue intervention in 2020, each survivor was escorted out of the brothels and placed in shelter homes. The rescue team coordinated with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to ensure the survivors had immediate access to education, skills training and counseling services at the shelter homes. JVI applied for government rehabilitation benefits to ensure financial compensation for the survivors to minimize their risk of being re-trafficked.
Through information provided by the CWC, JVI and its India-based partners contacted NGOs in Bangladesh to conduct home visits for the survivors in hopes of pursuing reunification with family members if at all possible. Some of the family members were traced, and JVI arranged for phone calls with the survivors and their families. Meanwhile, Indian authorities coordinated with the shelter home and Bangladesh Deputy Commissioner regarding transportation for the survivors who could safely return home.
JVI forged an alliance with Rights Jessore, a human rights organization in Bangladesh, to visit the homes in advance of transport to ensure their safety, and plan for their return.
On January 5, 2022, the shelter home superintendent received the repatriation orders from the Task Force and the next day Seema and two of the survivors crossed the Indian border to Bangladesh, safely into the hands of the Deputy Commissioner and Rights Jessore representatives. They are now home and will continue on a plan of care with oversight by JVI and its partners.
To ensure sustained freedom for survivors, JVI will continue to work to reunite them with safe family members in their home communities whenever possible.
*name changed to protect confidentiality
