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Adults and children with disabilities are at increased risk of human trafficking for begging because of extreme poverty and high rates of illiteracy; cultural norms and stigma leading to low status; lack of social and legal protection; and their reliance on others for sustenance and help with movement, especially in cities which are fraught with risks. Despite this, trafficking of persons with disabilities¹ for begging has received very little attention from researchers, human rights groups or disability advocates. This report presents findings from among the first studies to focus on trafficking of persons with disabilities for begging.
The objective of the study was to explore the nature and patterns of forced begging in urban areas of Ethiopia, leading to the design of pilot interventions to address this form of human trafficking. The study was designed with attention to maximum protection of participants in the research, including prevention of backlash, retaliation, or re-traumatization. The study collected data from four sources: 1) Observations of 'hotspot' areas where large numbers of people are found begging, 2) In-depth interviews (IDls) with survivors of forced begging, 3) IDls with adults with disabilities currently in begging, and 4) IDls with escorts of persons with disabilities who are begging, including those who push wheelchairs or lead people who are blind. This report focuses on the first two data sources, as researchers experienced considerable refusal and reluctance to share information about forced begging from those currently in begging or escorts/possible traffickers.
Before falling victim to trafficking, children with disabilities face considerable stigma and discrimination in their families and communities. They are often denied basic care, adequate food, and are isolated and hidden from public view. Most children with disabilities are trafficked into forced begging after their parents are convinced to surrender them to distant relatives or acquaintances, with the promise that the child will be taken to the city for schooling or medical care. In many other cases, children are forced by their parents to beg, mainly to support the household, and the schooling of other children in the family. In a few cases, the child was kidnapped by the traffickers. This report focuses on trafficking by a third party, with somewhat less attention devoted to familial trafficking.
This study confirmed that some children are deliberately harmed and made blind by their traffickers, for the purposes of begging. In addition, the conditions of forced begging are exceedingly cruel and inhumane. Children are forced to beg for long hours, in horrific conditions, often crawling in the street and in extreme weather conditions. Female beggars are vulnerable to rape by gangs on the street. Children only eat once a day and are given little food to the point of near starvation; they are only allowed to sleep for very few hours. The threats and violence they endure while in forced begging are extreme. These include severe beatings, whippings with implements and burning, especially when money collected is deemed insufficient, they question or talk back to the trafficker, or when the trafficker is drunk.
Not one child we interviewed exited human trafficking for begging after reporting to the police, despite having opportunities to do so. Some exited after only spending many years being trafficked. In such cases, children with disabilities were trafficked at young ages and were entirely dependent on their traffickers for accommodation, movement, and sustenance. Such children were threatened with physical harm and abandonment by their traffickers. They feared they would have no place to stay and no support if their traffickers were detained or feared retaliation for themselves or their families. When approached by police, some victims denied being forced to beg, due to their fear of abandonment. It was only after growing, maturing, understanding the situation and, at times, after the encouragement from others, especially other beggars, that a victim might attempt to leave the trafficker on their own. Such victims left with no money or possessions. Many traffickers reportedly did not resist the victim leaving, but rather just recruited another child.
Survivors who were able to attend school were often successful in academia, teaching, and administrative roles. However, most survivors remained in begging, especially those who were blind and/or had never been to school. Some with physical disabilities transitioned to lowly paid jobs such as shoeshine, car washing, or trades. Housing remained to be a challenge for most survivors as well as affording and maintaining assistive aids such as wheelchairs. Survivors reported enduring mental health struggles that persisted long after rescue and expressed the strong desire to have their stories heard by the wider public, in the hopes that no more children will be victim to human trafficking.
Given the very public, visible nature of begging in many large cities, forced begging of people with disabilities is truly an issue hiding in plain sight. Human trafficking for forced begging is mainly a crime against children, often those with visual or physical impairments. As a principle, future programs and efforts related to forced child begging should be guided by the insights and contributions of survivors, who should be an integral part of program design and implementation. In addition, programs should be evidence-based and age-, gender- and disability tailored to ensure prevention and support strategies are appropriate and responsive. We recommend future attention to: 1) concerted efforts to reduce stigma and discrimination against persons with disabilities, especially in rural areas, 2) increased educational and economic inclusion for persons with disabilities, to broaden their options for safe and productive livelihoods, 3) developing mechanisms to safely and anonymously report suspected cases of forced begging, such as dedicated hotlines, 4) updated and contextualized law enforcement and legal procedures related to suspected cases of trafficking of people for begging as well as related capacity building for professionals in these sectors, and 5) expanded protective post-rescue services for victims rescued from human trafficking.
Based on the study results, The Population Council, Ethiopian Lawyers with Disabilities, Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development, in collaboration with government and local partners are implementing a pilot program to address forced begging in Addis Ababa. Documentation and results of the pilot are forthcoming.
¹ The term “persons with disabilities” is used throughout this report, as opposed to “people with disabilities,” to reflect a person-first orientation and prioritization of the individual over their condition.
This report is co-authored with colleagues from the Ethiopian Lawyers with Disabilities Association and the Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development.