Inside Iran: The industry of child trafficking

The challenges posed by child trafficking in Iran, and how it generates huge amounts of money in the Islamic Republic are tackled by a new report aired on Al Arabiya News Channel on Monday.

The “Inside Iran” series by Al Arabiya discusses how child trafficking is prevalent, especially in the capital Tehran.

A UNICEF study on children in Iran stated that the “trafficking and sale of persons under 18 years of age” mainly occurs to “young girls from rural areas.”

Al Arabiya’s “Inside Iran” report revealed that a child in Iran can be sold for $150, and subjected to child labor even before the age of three.

The victims of child trafficking are reportedly exploited in labor, begging, and drug and organ trafficking, the report added.

It is claimed traffickers go searching for children in areas hit by poverty, or where drug addiction is rampant. They could be kidnapped from their families and never return back.

Some low-income families also contribute to child trafficking by forcing their children into work.

Al Arabiya’s report also sheds light on how street children lack the most fundamental children’s rights.

It is estimated that the number of Iranian children living on streets is about 200,000. Reports say half of them are thought to be Afghan child refugees.

The parents of street children in Iran are unknown, thus they are left without identity cards or birth certificates. They also live in abandoned houses and public parks.