DNA database to find China’s trafficked children

A national DNA database is being set up in China to help trace kidnapped children, as the authorities struggle to tackle people trafficking. Thousands of children in China are stolen or sold each year. Children of migrant workers are usually targeted and are traded for a few hundred dollars. Few are ever found. Parents of missing children have long been calling for a more joined up approach to searching for children.

At the moment, only 32 provincial DNA labs and 11 urban labs are connected. But the Ministry of Public Security says all 236 DNA labs in China will be connected by the end of the month. Groups to be tested include parents whose children have been confirmed kidnapped, parents whose children are lost, abducted children who have been rescued by the police, children suspected of being abducted or cannot give a home address and homeless children. Child trafficking is seen as a growing problem in China, despite government attempts to crack down. In a society that favours male heirs, it is often boys who are taken. China’s strict birth control policies, which limit many couples to only one child worsen the problem.

Families sometimes buy trafficked women and children to use as extra labour and household servants. According to the BBC, there have been several high-profile cases of abducted children being rescued from mines and brick kilns - prompting a Chinese government campaign against slavery. There are about 3,000 abduction cases every year in China although some observers believe there could be as many as 20,000 victims each year.

The new wealth in the country has also helped to make trafficking worthwhile, according to BBC Asia analyst Jill McGivering. Initially, official efforts focused on cross-border trafficking, which China's politicians seemed more willing to acknowledge, he said. They directed some of the blame at foreigners and were cautious about admitting that Chinese gangs might be involved. But as the scale of the problem and public anxiety has grown, the authorities have been forced to confront the issue more openly - and to reassure the public they are taking action. Police in Guangdong and Hunan used DNA testing on three abducted children found last month, China’s Xinhuana, news service reported. All were returned to their parents in Dongguan.

By Hayley Jarvis for SOS Children