The Commission for Migrants of the Conference of the Catholic Bishops of India on May 1 drew plans to combat the issues of forced labor and human trafficking in its Agra region comprising 10 dioceses.
Some 30 delegates from these dioceses attended a workshop at Gyandeep Bhawan Jaipur, capital of Rajasthan, to celebrate the International Worker’s Day and address human trafficking and bonded labor that are rampant in the agricultural field, brick kilns and factories of the region.
The participants decided to form a resource team equipped with legal knowledge and adequate skills to effectively address human trafficking which has become a serious issue after the Covid-19 pandemic in region.
They stressed the need for educating Christians on the Church’s social teaching to end injustice against workers.
They noted that the pandemic and the subsequent economic slowdown have worsened migrant workers’ situation. The number of unemployed youth in the country is on rise. Some states have failed to create enough jobs forcing workers to flee to metropolitan cities for livelihood leaving behind their families.