Children lured away from families with false promises of opportunity
A recent study by the Population Council in collaboration with the Ethiopian Lawyers with Disabilities Association and the Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development has found that many children with disabilities in Ethiopia are forced into beggary by traffickers who deceive families with false promises of care, education, or economic opportunity.
The findings were presented during a research dissemination workshop held on February 17, 2026, at Sheraton Addis, bringing together stakeholders, academics, and representatives from government and non-governmental institutions.
Titled “Hiding in Plain Sight: Trafficking Persons with Disabilities for Begging in Ethiopia,” the study is described as the first of its kind globally to examine forced begging involving persons with disabilities.
It was conducted in three major urban areas of Ethiopia: Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, and Mekelle; selected due to their size and reported indications of human trafficking activities.
According to the research, traffickers often lure children with disabilities by misleading parents with promises of a better life. In some cases, children were reportedly intentionally disabled after leaving their families and entering the control of traffickers.
The study is based on in-depth interviews with 31 trafficking survivors, all from rural and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, who had visual or mobility-related disabilities.
The findings also highlight family involvement and children running away from home as contributing factors. Some families reportedly depend on children with disabilities as sources of income through begging, while sending non-disabled children to school.
In other cases, stigma and discrimination within rural communities push children with disabilities to leave home and follow traffickers.
Notably, none of the survivors interviewed had reported their experiences to authorities, even when opportunities existed. The study attributes this to fear of retaliation, exposure to severe violence, and concerns over abandonment and lack of alternative means of survival. Participants at the workshop echoed these concerns, pointing to weak law enforcement and the absence of inclusive legal mechanisms that allow persons with disabilities to report abuse safely and accessibly.
Yohannes Sisay, a senior public prosecutor at the Ministry of Justice, acknowledged gaps in the enforcement of existing laws during a panel discussion which was part of the workshop.
He noted that “limited public awareness contributes to the problem, as forced begging often occurs around religious institutions where passersby give alms without recognizing possible coercion.”
Yohannes said that while the constitution and the Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Persons Proclamation criminalize trafficking, enforcement and implementation are lacking.
He added that “traffickers frequently pose as family members, misleading both the public and law enforcement, and that enforcement efforts have traditionally focused more on cross-border trafficking than internal cases.”
Another panelist, Abebe Yehualawork (PhD), a special needs education expert at Addis Ababa University, argued that “Ethiopia’s legal framework does not adequately protect persons with disabilities,” noting that “existing laws address disability only partially.”
He questioned whether there is a clear legal prohibition against forced begging and pointed out that the anti-trafficking proclamation is not disability-specific.
Abebe argued that “the Constitution approaches disability from a charitable rather than a rights-based perspective.”
The study recommends reducing stigma and discrimination, expanding access to education and economic opportunities, establishing accessible reporting mechanisms, strengthening law enforcement responses, and improving post-rescue services for survivors.
It also sets media awareness campaigns, the creation of a dedicated hotline for reporting suspected cases, and stronger coordination with law enforcement agencies and public prosecutors as key next steps.
Experts at the workshop stressed that protecting children with disabilities from trafficking requires a coordinated, nationwide effort. They called for communities to be empowered to recognize and prevent exploitation, for law enforcement and social services to be fully trained and accessible, and for survivors to receive long-term support.
