Rescue and recovery for victims of sex trafficking
Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation has been addressing human trafficking since 2005. While the term "human trafficking" covers a wide range of crimes, our work is in two specific areas: the trafficking of children into exploitative labour and the trafficking of Vietnamese women and girls into sexual exploitation and forced marriages in China.
Regarding sex trafficking, women and girls are typically trafficked across the border of Vietnam and
China and then sold to men in forced marriages: an insidious effect of the now abolished One Child
Policy. Although these are referred to as "forced marriages", there is no legal certification and the
women are bought and sold as property or as domestic slaves.
Traffickers tend to target the poorest and most vulnerable young people, particularly ethnic minority
women and girls who may not have many opportunities in their home communities. Once trafficked,
most women will not know where they are and will be confined to the house, forced into domestic
slavery, and face physical and sexual abuse. In some cases, the husband has a disability or mental health problems. The victim may be on-sold when the husband tires of her, needs money, or after she has a child.
Blue Dragon’s response
A victim of human trafficking reunited with her son after being trapped in slavery for 13 years.
To combat human trafficking, Blue Dragon has a team of lawyers, psychologists and social workers who work closely with law enforcement agencies, schools, government services agencies, and communities.
Together, we identify cases of trafficking, find the victims and their traffickers, rescue victims, and
provide all the necessary services for their successful recovery and reintegration back into their
communities. We do not give up until the victim’s freedom is secured.
In the last 12 months, Blue Dragon rescued 88 victims of human trafficking, 2 of whom were trafficked for labour exploitation and 86 for sex exploitation. We also assisted another 60 victims who were rescued by the police to return home.
The rescue is only the first step. Victims of sex trafficking are often highly traumatized by their
experiences of violence and exploitation. Blue Dragon provides both emergency and long-term physical and psychological care to help these women overcome their trauma, and begin to recover.
The first step is emergency assistance, and your donation from The Flerlage Foundation and 100 Friends of $1,000 US has meant that we could provide emergency assistance; counseling, health care, nutrition, clothing and basic hygiene products, and accommodation for a week for five girls returned from China. Normally the girls stay around a week to receive Blue Dragon’s assistance, and ensure that it is safe for them to return home to their community.
Once the girls seem stable, and we know it’s safe, a Blue Dragon staff member accompanies the girl to return home. At this time we also assess the home situation so we can make a better plan for any
necessary long term support such as helping with medical costs, or expenses to return to school.
Story of Transformation: Khue
Age when Khue first met: 14. Age now: 16
Khue and other survivors on a therapeutic trip outside the city.
Khue comes from a rural province in northern Vietnam. In 2016, a distant relative convinced Khue’s
mother to let Khue and her step-sister go to work in a factory in China. As the family were very poor,
Khue’s mother had accrued significant debts, so they thought this could be an opportunity to clear their debts and improve their situation. However, once Khue and her sister had crossed the border, they found themselves locked in a house as the trafficker planned to sell them into forced marriages with Chinese men.
A few days later, the local Chinese police conducted a regular check and recued the girls. Blue Dragon was contacted and we assisted in their repatriation to Vietnam. Both girls stayed in our emergency accommodation in Hanoi for a short period, when our psychologists and social workers supported them with healthcare, nutrition, therapy and material assistance.
Once the girls were ready, our social worker accompanied the girls back to their family. After
assessment, we concluded that both sisters were at risk of being trafficked again if we did not provide
them with long-term support. We discussed the situation with Khue’s mother and agreed for her and
her sister to move to Hanoi to study. We offered them a place in our homes for trafficking survivors in
Hanoi, where carers are always present to help girls and women heal and grow. Khue has returned to
high school and her sister has started a vocational training course. Both are adapting well to the new
environment and take part in activities organised by Blue Dragon. Khue in particular enjoys dancing and regularly participates in dance classes. Khue does not have a particular plan for her future yet. She wants to keep going to school and participating in Blue Dragon activities. We are with her every step of the way.
Also this tells the typical story of how Blue Dragon helps these rescued girls:
https://www.bluedragon.org/
More information about rescuing Vietnamese girls from China:
First, listen to this:
Then peruse these articles:
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