In India, the sudden imposition of the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown—with less than four hours’ notice—had devastating effects on the poor, who already faced challenges due to limited healthcare access and unstable incomes. Child trafficking and child labour are closely linked; trafficked children are often pushed into exploitative work for minimal pay, and in more severe cases—particularly involving girls and young boys—they are subjected to sexual abuse. Predatory money lending practices and debt bondage further enable trafficking, as they exploit financially distressed rural families.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Odisha reported the highest number of human trafficking victims in India during 2021–22. The state has seen a significant rise in child trafficking, especially in tribal areas, following the resumption of train services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The crisis heightened the vulnerability of impoverished communities, allowing traffickers to move children across state lines using pre-existing networks. Labour exploitation reveals the overlap between migration for work and trafficking, with child marriages and child labour being the most prevalent outcomes. A large number of tribal individuals from rural Odisha migrate to other states for employment or marriage. Gender-based discrimination is evident in these migration patterns, often leading to bride trafficking, forced sex work, and related abuses.
This paper explores the issue of child trafficking in Odisha, with a particular focus on the heightened vulnerability of children in tribal regions and the legal measures implemented to prevent trafficking and protect victims during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings are drawn from an ICSSR minor research project focused on the trends and challenges of child trafficking in Odisha, particularly in the Rayagada district.
