Community engagement key to combat human trafficking: Envoy

British Deputy High Commissioner of Kolkata Bruce Bucknell has advocated for community engagement and coordination between authorities to address social evils such as human trafficking.

Speaking at a district-level meeting at Barasat in North 24 Parganas, around 25km from here, Bucknell said Wednesday he was pleased to see administration officials engaging in dialogue with NGO workers to end the menace.

Assistant Superintendent of Police, North 24 Parganas, Avijit Banerjee, the chairman of West Bengal State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Ananya Chakraborti, and Deputy Commander of Border Security Force, Nizammudin, were among those who attended the meeting.

The British diplomat expressed hope that events, such as the one held Wednesday, will empower people to work with authorities in addressing the issue of human trafficking.

"All members of the community need to come together to end human trafficking and exploitation," Bucknell said.

The coordination meeting, organised by NGO Jabala, also saw exchange of experiences between victims, government officials and police officers.

"The young and the vulnerable are often tricked and misled into believing that they will have access to better job opportunities and education elsewhere. At times they are simply abducted by force," a spokesperson of the NGO said.