The Anatomy
of a Rescue

In the Dominican Republic, our team works alongside local government investigators. They may visit brothels, bars, sandy beaches or even private homes to find and rescue children forced into sex trafficking—including sexual tourism across the country.

Once victims have been identified, our team collaborates with the anti-trafficking authorities at the regional and national levels in the Dominican police, the Public Ministry (Prosecutor’s Office) and the Dominican Child Welfare Agency to ensure rescue.

Our Freedom Partners don’t just ensure we can partner with the Dominican law enforcement to identify victims and track individual perpetrators. They also provide the resources we need to make long-lasting sustainable change—such as training police to effectively conduct undercover operations—so that rescues will continue regardless of our presence there.

During a recent operation in India, IJM helped local law enforcement rescue 360 people from forced labour at a notoriously brutal brick kiln. This led to the release of nearly 7,000 other migrant workers who had been trapped during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Officials conducted detailed interviews with the labourers about their experiences and helped them move to a safe shelter. Once it was time for them to return home, authorities ensured that these families travelled safely on special trains with police escorts and food for the journey.

Thanks to our Freedom Partners, these families can now go on to live their lives in freedom—like they were meant to have.

“…with your kindness and blessings, we’ve reached home. Only because of your help, I have been able to come back home. I was stuck in so many problems. If not for you all, it would have been so difficult. I once again want to thank you from my heart. You all helped me a lot. Thank you.” —Man who was rescued sending his thanks