Why illegal recruitment agents across India get away with human trafficking

States failing to investigate and prosecute networks that dupe and exploit the vulnerable

The “ecosystem” of human trafficking that dupes people and sends them to foreign countries as illegal immigrants must be dismantled, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington earlier in February.

 

He was talking about illegal recruitment agents, as they are called in the government’s Parliament replies, that take lakhs of rupees from vulnerable individuals to send them abroad where they are promised better opportunities. When flights carrying deported illegal immigrants from the United States (US) landed in Punjab recently, it sparked discussions on the scale of the problem and enforcement mechanisms failing to rein in the agents.

 

Data from Parliament replies shows that Andhra Pradesh tops the list of states with the largest number of illegal recruitment agents (498). It is followed by Uttar Pradesh (418), Tamil Nadu (372), Maharashtra (337), and Delhi (299). Punjab, which is in the headlines for large-scale emigration, comes next with 209 identified illegal agents. It is followed by Kerala (206). The numbers show that the networks spread nationwide, making it difficult to track and dismantle them. (chart 1) 

 

States’ record in taking legal action against the networks is modest. Data for 2021 to June 2024 shows that Kerala is the only state which vigorously registered police first information reports (FIR) against illegal recruitment agents: 254 in total. Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, which have a large number of illegal agents, did not file a single FIR, raising concerns about enforcement and accountability.    

Prosecution against illegal agents is unimpressive, too. Delhi had 11 sanctioned prosecutions in 2024, while Kerala has maintained a relatively steady number of cases over the years. However, most other states have sanctioned very few or had no prosecutions at all. The lack of stringent action allows illegal agents to continue trafficking and deceiving people. A failure to prosecute them raises questions about policy implementation and interstate coordination.    

India has in recent years engaged in diplomatic efforts with countries like the United States to ensure safe and fair deportation of its citizens. However, without a concerted effort to dismantle domestic trafficking networks, prevent fraudulent recruitment and strengthen legal enforcement, the cycle of exploitation is unlikely to end.