Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 30, 2024 – Child trafficking remains a hidden crisis in Sri Lanka. Every day, children are subject to child sexual abuse and exploitation, child labor, child begging, child trafficking and online groomingⁱ. Today, to commemorate the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the Forum on Child Protection in the Travel and Tourism Sector launched a national campaign to combat child trafficking, called ‘I Am Not For Sale.’ The campaign aims to call on the public to identify the signs of child trafficking and report, highlighting the importance of greater awareness, prevention and reporting. 

Globally, 1 in 3 victims of human trafficking is a childⁱⁱ. They miss out on their childhoods, are subjected to severe physical and emotional abuse, and are robbed of their basic rights to education, protection and survival. Sri Lanka has become both a source and a destination for human trafficking, affecting women, men, girls, and boys for forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. Alarmingly, children are often trafficked to urban areas for domestic work and sexual exploitation, particularly within the tourism sector. The COVID-19 pandemic and the economic crisis since early 2022 have heightened the vulnerabilities of many families, contributing to the rise of human trafficking across the nation.  

The U.S. Department of State’s 2024 Trafficking in Persons Reportⁱⁱⁱ highlights a troubling increase in identified trafficking victims in Sri Lanka, with 95 victims reported between June 2023 and June 2024, compared to 59 in the previous year. Despite these figures, many cases, especially those involving children, remain unreported, and victims often lack the necessary support for recovery and reintegration into society. 

Recognizing an urgent need for coordinated efforts to combat child trafficking in Sri Lanka, the Forum on Child Protection in the Travel and Tourism Sector was convened by the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), to bring together a diverse and representative membership of government agencies, law enforcement, travel and tourism industry representatives, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), international organizations, community-based organizations (CSOs), the private sector, and relevant experts,​ to prevent child abuse and respond to all forms of violence against children within the travel and tourism sector across the country and promote every child’s right to a safe and secure environment.​   

As one of their key functions focuses on engaging in collective advocacy, the Forum worked towards implementing a national campaign to combat child trafficking by partnering with various institutions at ports of entry, transport points, and key hotel chains in the travel and tourism sector, to mobilize messaging and awareness amongst the public to spot, report and stop all forms of child trafficking in Sri Lanka. 

“As the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) in Sri Lanka, our mandate is to prevent, protect and respond to all forms of child abuse. We believe protecting children is a collective action, and wholeheartedly welcome the ‘I Am Not for Sale’ campaign,” emphasized Mrs. Anoma Siriwardana, Director General of the National Child Protection Authority. “We urge the public, including tourists, to ‘Spot, Stop & Report’ child abuse and child trafficking by dialing the 1929 National Child Protection Hotline or 109 to report crimes against children or women.” 

On behalf of the Forum, Buddhini Withana from Save the Children says, “We have been working alongside the Government to strengthen systems, build capacity and convene key players who can stop child trafficking in the tourism sector, but we need to do more. This campaign aims to build momentum for collective awareness and action and pave a way forward beyond this ‘World Day Against Trafficking in Persons’. Ending child trafficking and exploitation is everyone’s responsibility.”  

The Forum remains committed to supporting the government and other stakeholders in their fight against human trafficking, ensuring that every child is safe and protected. It calls on the public to act now to spot it, report it and stop it to end child trafficking in Sri Lanka. 

If you suspect child trafficking, report it immediately by calling 109 or 1929. Visit the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) website to learn more about child trafficking and how to identify the signs: https://childprotection.gov.lk/en/child-traffickings 

ENDS.  

Notes to editor 

• The Forum on Child Protection in the Travel and Tourism Industry, convened by the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) under Section 14(q) of the NCPA Act No.50 of 1998. 

i https://resourcecentre.savethechildren.net/document/child-sex-trafficking-in-the-tourism-sector-in-sri-lanka 

ii https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/endht/index.html 

iii https://www.state.gov/reports/2024-trafficking-in-persons-report/sri-lanka/