Combating Trafficking in Sri Lanka: Multisystemic National Action Plan for Effective Intervention, Protection, Persecution, and Prevention

Trafficking is a global phenomenon and impacts every country in the world, albeit differently. Social problems, such as human trafficking, run deep into the fabric of a country. Any efforts to combat human trafficking at national levels need to consider the interconnectedness of systems, thus, the micro, mezzo, and macro levels and the interactions between these levels need to be considered. The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Prevention Act of 2000 ranks countries on three tiers when it comes to their efforts to prevent human trafficking. Sri Lanka is currently on trafficking Tier 2 watch list country. This paper provides a detailed context and analysis of the context of trafficking in Sri Lanka and identifies gaps in the existing services and a context for a theory of change based on the gaps in services. It also gives a comprehensive action plan for a national-level social change utilizing a multi-systemic and multi-stakeholder approach. Recommendations for human service workers hoping to work in developing countries are provided.