Madagascar Busts Ring Smuggling Brides Into China

A network involved in transnational human trafficking for selling young Malagasy women as brides in China was dismantled in Madagascar, leading to the arrest of eight Chinese nationals. [para. 1] The discovery followed a report from a Malagasy woman's family about her being trafficked to China under the false perception that marriage to a Chinese man was necessary for employment and residence. Upon arrival, she was confined and forced into bearing children. [para. 2] The Chinese Embassy confirmed the arrests, emphasizing support for Madagascar's intensified crackdown on the trafficking ring and urging compliance with marriage laws. [para. 3]

Historical warnings about such trafficking date back to at least 2019, with cases tracked to 2014 reflecting confinement and sexual violence against brides trafficked from Madagascar to China. [para. 4] Madagascar faces severe poverty, with 80.7% living below the poverty line as of 2023, making the nation vulnerable to issues such as human trafficking. [para. 5] Women are predominantly targeted in Madagascar's trafficking cases, with 95% of victims being female, and over half are under 29, as reported by the International Organization for Migration in 2019. [para. 6]

Madagascar is listed on the U.S. Department of State’s Tier 2 Watch List for trafficking issues for the third consecutive year in 2024, showing severe problems with limited governmental progress. [para. 7] Globally, human trafficking affected 162 nationalities in 2022, with one-third of the victims from Africa and sexual exploitation and forced labor being the primary trafficking reasons. [para. 8] The trafficking network in Madagascar focused on women from the Atsinanana region, each allegedly sold for amounts ranging between $8,600 and $40,550. [para. 9]

Past cases indicate collaboration between Chinese and Malagasy intermediaries, often luring women to China under false pretenses of jobs or marriage. [para. 10] In an incident from 2018, a man in Anhui, China, purchased a Malagasy bride for his son, which led to tragic consequences including rape, as stated in court files. The man involved was convicted but received a lenient sentence. [para. 11][para. 12] China's gender imbalance, with a ratio of 105 men to 100 women, exacerbates the issue, alongside practices like paying a bride price, despite government discouragement of excessive demands. [para. 13]

The Chinese Embassy has reiterated legal restrictions on marriage agencies engaging in foreign match-making and flagged high fees or dowry as evidence for trafficking cases in Madagascar. [para. 14] A 2019 case highlighted a woman, Hu, who collaborated with Malagasy agents to traffic Malagasy women to China on tourist or business visas under false pretenses, earning nearly 958,000 yuan through the illegal arrangement. She was later sentenced to prison. [para. 15][para. 16]

In another case, a Malagasy woman married a Chinese man through a contract, which included a clause indicating financial restitution if the bride escaped within two years. After escaping six months into the marriage, a court ruled for the return of most of the matchmaking fee. [para. 17] Both Chinese and Malagasy governments have been battling such trafficking since 2014. [para. 20]