For families working in brick kilns across Pakistan, debt is not just a burden—it shapes entire lives. Workers describe being born into loans they did not choose. Over time, those debts grow. Then, trapped in debt bondage, one of the most common forms of modern slavery, workers say they are left with no choice. In order to repay loans tied to recruitment, housing and daily survival, they are selling parts of their own bodies.
“We are born into debt and we die in debt”
In low-income households in Pakistan, families often take small loans to cover food, rent, or emergencies. But high interest rates and exploitative systems make repayment nearly impossible. Instead of shrinking, debts expand—and crucially, they do not disappear. When a worker dies, the burden passes to their children, locking entire families into cycles of bondage.
One worker told The Guardian:
We are born into debt and we die in debt, they see us as slaves. We just have to obey.
Many workers “agree” to sell their kidneys, but that choice is shaped by desperation, poverty, and pressure.
It’s difficult to give away a part of your body, but there was no other way,
With wages too low to reduce what they owe, workers face constant demands for repayment. When brokers suggest selling a kidney as a solution, the unthinkable becomes a last resort. Yet this practice is not only illegal—it can also constitute as human trafficking. Under international law, consent is irrelevant if coercion, deception, or abuse of vulnerability is involved.
Survival comes at a cost
Debt bondage does not only trap adults. Children often begin working in brick kilns as young as six, with little chance of leaving. Many parents sell organs in the hope of securing a better future for their children—but that promise rarely materializes.
When Sania Bibi started making bricks at the age of 10, her family owed just 200,000 rupees. Forty years later, the brick kiln owner tells them they owe him 3.5 million rupees.
When a broker approached her, she saw a chance to escape:
He showed me many dreams. My only thought was to get out of the system. I thought I could pay off the debt and my children could go to school. I made the decision immediately.
She received just 100,000 rupees—around $1,000—for her kidney. Bibi said:
Afterwards I regretted it. I’m in the same condition, the same place. Nothing’s changed. My children couldn’t get freedom. My heart’s broken.
A hidden and dangerous trade
Kidney sales often occur through illegal and unsafe networks, leaving workers exposed to serious health risks. Many report chronic pain, weakness, and difficulty working after surgery. Because the trade is illegal almost everywhere, its true scale is difficult to measure.
However, Syed Ayaz Hussain of the Bonded Labour Liberation Front believes the practice is widespread.
You can find workers who have sold a kidney at almost any brick kiln you visit.
Workers themselves echo this reality:
The whole country is doing it.
For most, selling an organ does not bring freedom. The debt remains, and the cycle continues. Families return to the kilns generation after generation—trapped in a system where even sacrificing part of their body is not enough to break free.
Join our call in pushing countries around the globe to step up and tackle the often-overlooked crimes of human trafficking for the purpose of organ removal and organ trafficking.
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