Press Releases

For the seventh consecutive year, an internationally recognised people trafficking report stated that India’s Government does not have sufficient measures in place to reduce the current and potential levels of human trafficking within its country. Joseph D’souza, International President of Dalit Freedom Network said, “The TIP report is an important indicator of the progress countries are making to eliminate trafficking. While India maintains its Tier 2 Watch List rating, the report shows positive signs that the country is moving in the right direction.”

The British Government is set to become the first to outlaw caste discrimination as part of the provisions of the Equality Act 2010. The Equality Bill sparked anger from India after an amendment was made by the House of Lords to prohibit caste discrimination as part of race discrimination. This amendment was made due to increasing concerns within Parliament following a report published by the Anti-Caste Discrimination Alliance last year which detailed the discrimination and persecution of lower caste Indians, and particularly of Dalits, in Britain.

Dalit Freedom Network UK (DFN UK) is excited about the exposure that an Anti-Slavery Day will bring to the issue of trafficking and in particular the opportunity it brings to highlight the trafficking of Dalit men, women and children. Of the 27 million people estimated to be living in slavery today, some 20 million are in the Indian subcontinent and the vast majority are Dalits. DFN UK is working to raise awareness of this problem and generate support for anti-trafficking programmes both in the UK and India.

Dalit Freedom Network UK welcomes Lord Alton’s comments made on Friday 5 March in the House of Lords, highlighting the issue of trafficking in relation to India’s Dalits. Lord Alton was speaking in support of a Bill proposing an Anti-Slavery Day. Lord Alton’s detailed description of the scale and injustice of India’s trafficking problem climaxed in his reference to DFN founder, Joseph D’souza, a tireless campaigner for the Dalit people and an internationally recognised voice in support of their rights.