Category: Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is a widespread global phenomenon in which people are trapped in exploitation and coercion against their will. This challenge has been widespread in Africa, where people were forcefully taken from their villages and sold to slave trader during the transatlantic trade. Slave dealers captured and transported people to Europe and other continents where they were held in servitude. However, the end of the Cold War marked the beginning of another tumultuous phase in Africa, characterized by regional conflicts and uprisings. These events led to the proliferation and aggravation of political and economic challenges, rendering populations vulnerable to exploitation. In recent years, the magnitude of human trafficking has soared significantly as armed uprisings, political unrest, and economic hardships expose populations to enslavement. Various human rights instruments, including the Slavery Convention (1926), the International Labor Organization agreement, and the Palermo Protocol, rank among the prominent global legal frameworks and treaties enacted to combat human trafficking.

Human Trafficking in Africa

Human trafficking is an age-old dynamic phenomenon triggered by various interlocking factors, forces, and processes. Generally, this challenge stems from issues and problems associated with the demand for exploitatively cheap labor and peoples need to satisfy their basic economic requirements for survival. In the post-colonial Africa, such internal factors as poverty, misrule, corruption, unemployment, and crises brought about by numerous episodes of wars exacerbated the citizens susceptibility to human trafficking. In this regard, an individuals specific attributes, such as socioeconomic status, unemployment, education, and personal aspiration, significantly contributed to their likelihood of being trafficked.

History of Human Trafficking in Africa and How it Developed

Human trafficking in Africa is a centuries old problem which dates back to the pre-colonial period. Although slavery was endemic and existed within the structure of everyday life, the arrival of Arab and European explorers and traders marked the beginning of the forceful transportation of people from their continents to regions. For instance, in the Sub-Saharan Africa, Zanzibar is identified as East Africas main slave-trading seaport, through which an estimated 50, 000 slaves passed annually (Rhodes 165). In West Africa, people were commodified, sold as slaves, and transported to foreign lands where they were forced to work in plantations. The enslaved people were viewed as merchandize to be sold, bought, and exploited. However, the crisis of human trafficking has evolved over the years, particularly after the global efforts prohibiting slave trade. The challenge adopted a subtle outlook controlled by criminal organizations exploiting the vulnerabilities of the populations brought about by political and economic crises.

Political Instabilities and Conflicts

Traffickers also exploited the distinctly toxic political environment in Africa, which immensely contributed to endless instabilities, uprisings, and conflict situations. Jesperson contends that structural and perennial violence in Africa created entrenched poverty levels, pitying millions of people across the continent (4). Since individuals generally prefer living in politically stable countries, their attempt to flee the conflict, resultant deprivation and limited economic opportunities expose them to traffickers. For instance, human trafficking and people smuggling have increasingly become lucrative in Libya since 2014, following the collapse of the countrys sociopolitical order (Morana 23). In this regard, civil strife creates poverty, a growing civilian need to flee, and the rogue actors who exploit and benefit from the lawlessness. Therefore, Africas human trafficking can be primarily attributed to the perennial political instability and civil unrest as the root causes of the vice in the continent.

Additionally, post-conflict situations in which acute military fighting and activities are terminated through peace agreements or victory are often unstable and characterized by spontaneous violent eruptions. For instance, the intermittent and sporadic clashes between the militaries and rebels in countries such as Chad and Benin generate enormous numbers of internally displaced persons. Jesperson notes that the smugglers of people strategically target the vulnerable individuals fleeing from conflict areas and economically depressed countries (4). This migratory pattern is manifested by many people fleeing conflict, political violence, and post-unrest instabilities in countries such as Mali, Algeria, Gambia, Guinea, and Cote DIvoire. In Nigeria, smuggled people primarily originate from Edo State, a region that perennially faces political, territorial, economic, and security challenges (Jatto and Stanislas 118). Therefore, political conflict and violence is a major contributor to human trafficking in Africa.

In East Africa, the largest source of victims of human trafficking is Eritrea, where young men and women are fleeing from military conscription and political violence. Notably, the country has been simultaneously engaged in internal civil unrest and active military action with Ethiopia. Although this has been used to justify the mandatory national military service, it has morphed into an indefinite entrapment that condemns the high school graduates into forced labor, sexual exploitation, and physical abuse (Kibreab 123). From this perspective, the Eritrean National Service is often regarded as a modern form of slavery, and people fleeing the enslavement often landed in the hands of traffickers.

Economic Vulnerabilities and Official Corruption

The emergence and subsequent proliferation of human smuggling in Africa can also be linked to the systemic economic vulnerabilities of the populations. Among the prominent breeding grounds for exploitation and human trafficking is the economic situation of a country or a region and the available opportunities for the citizens to escape the economic crisis and despair. The desire for the people to emigrate into economically promising and favorable circumstances is exploited by criminals, who initially recruit the victims with their cooperation before applying coercive force. Toh and Jiang contend that this pursuit of prosperity is primarily fueled by the uncertainties of economic opportunities in the victims countries (12). This factor has been identified as the initial impetus for the casualties to fall prey to the traffickers. The economic factor also accelerates this vice since people in human trafficking feel that it is more lucrative than legitimate activities. For instance, the people trafficked across the Sahara through Libya to Europe often come from economically challenged countries and are taking the risk to go to well-off nations through any means.

Further, the prohibition of these illegal migration patterns creates organized criminal gangs who promise to facilitate the transition of the economic victims to wealthy nations. According to Cho, mainstream and subtle forms of corruptions are a remarkable push factor for human trafficking in Africa since it pushes people into the desperate attempt to escape from the current circumstances (4). In this regard, the levels of corruption and institutional effectiveness of the origin, destination, and transit countries are major factors, which have continually contributed to the proliferation of the crime. Cho notes that in the absence of corrupt regimes and functional governmental operations, the recruitment, provision of facilitating documents such as visas and permits, the eventual transportation, and border crossing is impossible (4). Therefore, economic vulnerabilities and corruption create trafficking incentives for the smugglers, the victims, and government officials of the destination, transit, and origin countries.

Tradition and Culture

Some traditions and cultural practices in Africa have significantly contributed to the crisis of human trafficking. Notably, customs such as male dominance, coercing young girls into ritual servitude, and viewing women as commodities and wealth have been identified as an underlying cause of human trafficking (Msuya 1). These practices are orchestrated for exploitative purposes, such as domestic work, sexual servitude, and enslavement into labor. In this regard, these cultures have consistently perpetuated human trafficking at different levels. For instance, in Western Africa, culturally acceptable customs such as the slave to the gods involve young women from the Ewe ethnic group, who are sent to serve as forced laborers in traditional shrines (Msuya 4). They are sexually exploited by the priests residing in those shrines. Therefore, some traditional customs and practices have significantly enhanced the practice of human trafficking in the continent.

Efforts to Resolve Human Trafficking in Africa and their Success and Failures

In recent years, the efforts to combat human trafficking in Africa have gained momentum as the problems awareness, and its detrimental impacts are highlighted. Among the notable interventions is the Stop the Traffik campaign, which seeks to disrupt the global human trafficking networks and modern slavery links by building resilient communities across the continent. Although this organizations efforts strive to demolish the global trafficking web, its effectiveness has not been widely registered due to the strategys failure to address the root causes. Kiss and Zimmerman contend that the successful responses to human trafficking require targeted actions on the structural conditions and practices, which enable exploitation and subject people to limited abilities to alter their circumstances (2). For instance, although the Stop the Traffiks option of raising awareness has effectively highlighted the severity of the problem, it does not address the causal factors, such as corruption, economic vulnerabilities, and political violence.

Similarly, effecting arrests and convictions of people involved in human trafficking could significantly discourage or break the network. However, this approach is also reactive and fails to address the underlying factors creating the crime. Bryant and Landman argue that although formulating stringent anti-trafficking legislation may significantly minimize the smuggling, radical and targeted interventions should focus on anchoring approaches such as entrenching political and economic stability and eliminating corruption (122). This perspective is underpinned by the relative of human trafficking in economically and politically stable counties. These interventions generate positive ripple effects, such as stimulating investments, reducing the structural and systemic inequalities, and promoting the overall wellbeing of the people. The established legal institutions and frameworks will enhance African countries ability to monitor and forestall the activities of organized criminal outfits, which perennially trigger civil unrest and other detrimental activities.

Theoretical Foundation for the Violation of Human Rights

In The Philosophy of Human Rights, Patrick Hayden enumerates various philosophical underpinnings through which smuggling people violate the tenets of human rights. For instance, he makes an explicit reference to John Stuart Mills utilitarianism on liberty, in which he asserts the inviolability of freedom as a fundamental human right. In this regard, trafficking infringes on this freedom at various stages of its perpetration since the victims are stripped of their liberties of movement and the unjustified subjection to torture, inhuman, punishment, and degrading treatment. This perspective is corroborated by Farrokhzad, who contends that the invasion and the subsequent subjugation of human dignity by traffickers through the suppression of the victims freedoms is the apex of human rights violation (132). Therefore, the claim of vanquishing the victims unassailable liberties is among the prominent reasons why the allegations of human rights abuses have been made.

Additionally, the utilization of threats, coercion, deception, or fraud for the sole purposes of economic or sexual exploitation is a distinct violation of the victims rights. Notably, this crime is associated with practices such as forced labor, debt bondage, forced marriages, and the breaching of the victims bodily integrity. From this perspective, traffickers treat the smuggled people like commodities, grossly violating their intrinsic civil liberties and rights. These egregious crimes are explicitly outlined by the Palermo Protocol, which encompasses offenses such as sexual exploitation, abusive treatment, and involuntary servitude.

Recommendations for Policy Changes

Although various policies have been formulated and implemented to combat human trafficking, there is need to enact robust and innovative strategies that addresses the root causes of the challenge. For instance, international organizations can demand that the host governments obtain certifications indicating their compliance with the established international laws. This can be an effective counter-trafficking measure since it would impose stringent and punitive proposals on destination countries, thereby eliminating the demand and market for trafficked persons. Moreover, this approach is significantly easier to implement than addressing the push factors that increase peoples vulnerabilities. Therefore, the existing policies should be modified to adopt more demand side-oriented measures to be implemented by the host countries.

Conclusion

Human trafficking is a major global crisis which disproportionately affects the African continent. Notably, the continent is a significant source, transit corridor, and destination of smuggled people. Although the crisis can be attributed to the events surrounding the end of the Cold War, pre-colonial and post-colonial Africa have witnessed the proliferation of human trafficking from the continent. The major factors which exacerbate Africas human trafficking crisis include political and economic instabilities, structural corruption, traditional practices, and failures of the governance systems. Although various interventions have been implemented to stop this crisis, they have not been significantly effective, necessitating the deployment of approaches that address the underlying factors.

Works Cited

Bryant, Katharine, and Todd Landman. Combating Human Trafficking Since Palermo: What Do We Know About What Works? Journal of Human Trafficking, vol. 6, no. 2, 2020, pp. 119140.

Cho, Seo-Young. Modeling for Determinants of Human Trafficking: An Empirical Analysis. Social Inclusion, vol. 3, no. 1, 2015, pp. 221.

Farrokhzad, Ardeshir. Human Trafficking: A Human Rights Oriented Approach. International Law Research, vol. 6, no. 1, 2017, pp. 132137.

Jatto, Abraham Abdul, and Perry Stanislas. Contemporary Security Challenges Facing Edo State, Nigeria. Geopolitics, History, and International Relations, vol. 9, no. 2, 2017, pp. 118140.

Jesperson, Sasha. Conflict and Migration: From Consensual Movement to Exploitation. Stability: International Journal of Security and Development, vol. 8, no. 1, 2019, pp. 113.

Kibreab, Gaim. Sexual Violence in the Eritrean National Service. African Studies Review, vol. 60, no. 1, 2017, pp. 123143.

Kiss, Ligia, and Cathy Zimmerman. Human Trafficking and Labor Exploitation: Toward Identifying, Implementing, and Evaluating Effective Responses. PLoS Medicine, vol. 16, no. 1, 2019, pp. 14.

Morana, Walter. The OSCE and the Libyan Crisis. Security and Human Rights, vol. 30, no. 1-4, 2020, pp. 23-38.

Msuya, Norah Hashim. Tradition and Culture in Africa: Practices that Facilitate Trafficking of Women and Children. Dignity, vol. 2, no. 1, 2017, pp. 136.

Rhodes, Daniel T. History, Materialization, and Presentation of Slavery in Tanzania. Journal of African Diaspora Archaeology and Heritage, vol. 7, no. 2, 2019, pp. 165191.

Toh, Mun Heng, and Bo Jiang. Human Trafficking  Social Economic Determinants: Cross Countries Analysis. International Journal of Business and Social Science, vol. 8, no. 9, 2017, pp. 820. Web.

Introduction

Human trafficking is not a new problem. It has been a burden on society for centuries. In fact, in the course of history, it has transformed from slavery to forced labor, prostitution, and pornography as the major forms. At present, women and children are the most vulnerable categories of human trafficking. The problem can probably be reduced through the implementation of appropriate legislation. However, such laws are not equally enforced by governments throughout the world. This essay focuses on the issue of enforcement of laws concerning human trafficking, the influence of country prosperity on the approaches to solving this problem, the vulnerable categories at high risk of becoming victims, and the analysis of opportunities to control human trafficking globally.

The Enforcement of Human Tracking Laws Worldwide

Human trafficking is considered an offense to human rights and thus is in the focus of the United Nations Organization (Burch, 2014). Despite the fact that human trafficking is a global issue, not all countries give equal attention to this problem. This fact leads to a discrepancy in the rates of human trafficking worldwide and the spread of the problem. Thus, the developed countries give more attention to the issue of human rights and, as a result, to human trafficking prevention.

For example, European laws on human rights demand the prevention of human trafficking. Moreover, much attention is given to outlawing human trafficking. There is a Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings ratified in the majority of western European countries (Turner, 2015). Such an approach results in full compliance with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) enforced in the USA, Canada, Australia, and Western Europe (Galastidas, Anderson, & Kelly, 2014).

Also, some South American, African, and Asian countries, although do not comply with the standards introduced by TVPA, make efforts to achieve compliance. However, the rest of the world does not do much to eliminate the problem of human trafficking. For example, the greatest part of Africa, Asia, and even some countries in eastern Europe demonstrate the significant rates of human trafficking victims every year without any proof of efforts to influence the problem or do not comply with any TVPA standards at all (Galastidas et al., 2014). This fact can be probably explained by the weak consciousness of the society and little interest of governments in the elimination of the problem.

Human Trafficking in Poor Countries

Globally, low-income countries are more likely to have high rates of human trafficking than the developed ones. Corruption is one of the causes of poor nations susceptibility to human trafficking. For example, such countries as Thailand, Ghana, Uganda, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Haiti, Brazil, and Bangladesh have the highest rates of human trafficking in the world (Durankiev, 2015). In fact, it is considered to be one of the most lucrative forms of organized crime (Human trafficking and corruption, 2017).

It is evident that organized human trafficking would not be possible without corruption. It is a result of an alliance of criminals and corrupt officials (Human trafficking and corruption, 2017). The widespread problem and difficulty in eliminating it can be explained by the support of the corrupt officials who help to conceal the crime. Another aspect contributing to the problem of human trafficking in poor countries is low income.

According to Wright (2015), poverty is a compelling factor in the human trafficking industry (para. 2). Although human trafficking is a global burden, it is more common in low-income countries in Asia, Western Africa, Western Europe, and Arab Nations. The explanation for this fact is the desire of people living in poverty to move to places with more employment opportunities. Individuals who experience extreme poverty are more likely to get into the trap of human traffickers.

Vulnerable Populations for Human Trafficking

It is accepted that women and children are the most susceptible population categories to human trafficking. Women and young girls make up the majority of human trafficking. For example, they are most frequently sold to become prostitutes or for another type of sexual exploitation. Still, they are also used as servants or as cheap labor in different industries. Probably, women and girls are less likely to protect themselves compared to men and can be easier trapped by human traffickers.

One of the spheres of child labor exploitation in the cocoa business. The cocoa plantations on Ivory Coast, its the eastern part, in particular, use much child labor. However, the worst fact about children working there is that they are used as a free labor force by their families (OKeefe, 2016). Despite much attention of the press to the problem, there are no significant improvements, primarily due to the poor legislation in this sphere.

Human Trafficking: Too Global to Control

Nevertheless, despite the considerable efforts of the world community, human trafficking is a too complicated issue to be controlled efficiently. First of all, it demands joint efforts in the enforcement of legislation concerning the problem. However, this condition can be hardly achieved globally. With diverse economic and political priorities of different countries, they are not likely to come to a consensus considering human trafficking laws. Secondly, corruption, which is one of the primary reasons for high levels of human trafficking, cannot be eliminated in the global context. It has some economic roots. Since there is a demand for cheap labor and, as a result, cheap resources produced by this workforce, human trafficking as a source of low-paid or free workforce would not be eliminated. Even the developed countries that ratify the necessary laws concerning human trafficking are interested in the results of the work of human trafficking victims.

Conclusion

After all, it can be concluded that the elimination of human trafficking in the global context can be achieved with the joint efforts of the world community. Some reasons restrain positive solutions to the human trafficking problem. First of all, the existing laws on the issue are not strictly enforced. The developed countries demonstrate more compliance with human trafficking legislation while low-income states are not likely to implement the necessary regulations. Secondly, poor countries face obstacles to eliminating human traffickings, such as extreme poverty and high rates of corruption.

These problems could be probably solved on the governmental level, but the governments are frequently more interested in the economic benefits provided by the use of cheap labor than in the solution of the problem. Also, more legal protection is needed for the vulnerable population categories such as women and children. However, little is done in this direction. Finally, the problem of human trafficking is too global to be solved quickly. Thus, common efforts and worldwide interest in problem elimination can stimulate effective legislation and lead to positive outcomes.

References

Burch, R.J. (2014). International law and human trafficking. Global Review, 3, 77-88.

Durankiev, G. (2015). 11 countries with the highest rates of human trafficking in the world. Web.

Galastidas, A., Anderson, M., & Kelly, A. (2014). Which countries have the worst record for human trafficking?The Guardian. Web.

Human trafficking and corruption. (2017). Web.

OKeefe, B. (2016). Big chocolate child labor. Fortune. Web.

Turner, I. (2015). Human rights, positive obligations, and measures to prevent human trafficking in the United Kingdom. Journal of Human Trafficking, 1, 296-317. Web.

Wright, E. (2015). Poverty and its contribution to human trafficking. Web.

Introduction

Human trafficking involves recruiting and forcefully transporting individuals to foreign countries with the aim of exposing them to do forced labor. Human trafficking is different from traditional smuggling of people in that the relationship between the victims and he traffickers continues after their transportation. In most cases, they are passed from one trafficker to the other.

It takes place because of the demand for cheap labor and the presence of individuals willing to move from their homes in search of better economic opportunities. It is further enhanced by the financial gains that the traffickers get.

Many governments have started dealing with the problem through programs and policies designed to prevent and protect the victims, and take legal actions against the traffickers and smugglers. Although the phenomenon has been highlighted in every part of the world, knowledge about its consequences is still limited.

Owing to its secretive nature, details on the characteristics of its victims and what they go through as well the traffickers and smugglers characteristics are hard to get and often difficult to generalize.

The available data is obtained from different nongovernmental, governmental and few academic sources. Due to its negative impacts, there is need to look for ways of preventing it. This essay will look at some of the ways that can be used to prevent and stop human trafficking.

Preventing Human Trafficking

Despite the fact that preventing human trafficking is the most effective long-term method of reducing or eliminating the practice, many governments have not been using the method. Part of the failure to use prevention methods emanates from the fact that there are no mechanisms for measuring the impact and success of prevention programs in attaining the anticipated goals.

Nonetheless, partly due to the increase in advocates of anti-trafficking and service providers, both NGOs and governments have embarked on the development of stronger practices and policies for prevention strategies. These prevention policies are classified into supply-based, demand-based and reduction of financial gains (Prevention of Human Trafficking 4).

Supply-based Policies

These prevention policies are interested in the supply of persons who are vulnerable to human trafficking. Their focus is on the vulnerable populations and channels of recruitment and transportation of trafficked victims. The programs are subdivided into four main areas.

Awareness-Raising

Raising awareness is one of the most common activities in human trafficking prevention (Prevention 10). It assumes various forms and does not only target the public at large and critical policy makers, but also individuals who are likely to fall victims in the future.

Non-governmental organizations are used to carry out awareness raising campaigns among the homeless and other groups of individuals deemed susceptible to human trafficking. Such groups include prostitutes, youths and migrant farm employees. During the campaigns, they are familiarized with possible scams and the strategies applied by human traffickers.

The awareness raising programs comprise of the establishment and promotion of hotlines which provide information on national trafficking, local television, poster campaigns, radio and education materials that tackle human trafficking (Rosenberg 14).

Legal Alternatives

Migrant advocates have raised the issue of availing legal means of moving into other countries as a means through which the various forms of exploitation that affect transnational migration could be prevented. With reference to this argument, there is a stable number of individuals who think that it is necessary for them to look for job opportunities abroad, regardless of whether they migrate legally or not.

Making it hard for individuals to migrate in accordance with the law, therefore, compels potential migrants to engage themselves in risky activities in order to look for work abroad, potentially leading them into the hands of traffickers and smugglers.

By doing away with the requirement for migrants to take such risks of crossing borders illegally, the provision of legal alternative avenues for migration or temporary work abroad is considered one method through which the role of, and opportunities for, trafficking could be diminished.

In the meantime, safe programs of migration are comprised of one method of providing vulnerable groups with the right information to enable them make informed decisions regarding the jobs they concede to, and of empowering them to safely migrate to other countries and look for help in case of troubles. However, it is assumed that there is adequate information available to make judgment regarding the safety of the jobs offered.

Reducing Push Factor Conditions

Long-term efforts of dealing with human trafficking are geared towards reducing the push factor conditions such as gender, poverty, inequality and lack of economic or educational opportunities. It is estimated that these factors compel people to engage in risks that eventually lead to human trafficking.

Some countries have been sponsoring programs that are involved in reduction of poverty, domestic violence, assistance programs and shelters, job training, integration programs and initiatives that prevent prostitutes against HIV/AIDS infection.

USAID has also been involved in sponsoring programs aimed at fighting corruption in governments on the basis that reduction of corruption among governments improves state resource distribution making it possible for larger groups of people to access opportunities.

In Europe, prevention of human trafficking is interpreted to mean both awareness raising and active prevention activities that ideally look into the primary causes of human trafficking.

Most countries continue with efforts of preventing human trafficking by concentrating on prostitution, migration and organized crime. Despite debates about the importance of having comprehensive prevention approaches, awareness-raising is the common prevention instrument in many countries.

Demand-based Prevention Policies

Despite the unending debate concerning the causal and enabling factors of human trafficking, research has shown that exploitable workers are highly demanded in many countries. Many industries require such workers with the need being fulfilled through trafficking (Belser 35).

Demand-based programs operate on the assumption that instituting legal actions against consumers, making services of trafficked people socially unacceptable, educating consumers about trafficking and its victims, or providing information to potential traffickers and beneficiaries about human rights, gender violence and prostitution reduces the demand of trafficked individuals.

Reducing the Financial-Gains from Trafficking

Advocates have started coming up with policies that limit the financial gains traffickers, smugglers, and corrupt individuals enjoy, which in turn enable criminal operations to survive. Governments have been working towards imposing costs at the individual and national levels. Sanctions are imposed against countries that are ranked among the most notorious in human trafficking.

The sanctions may withhold non-humanitarian, non-trade-related help or, if a country is denied such assistance, the funding for taking part in cultural and educational exchange programs is withheld. The countries might also be barred from applying for assistance from international financial institutions. At the individual level, traffickers may be forced to compensate the victims (Women, War and Peace 5).

The aim of these initiatives is to make human trafficking unattractive by increasing its cost relative to its would-be gains. It is envisaged that with the increasing arrests followed by prosecutions, traffickers will be compelled to conduct an evaluation of the benefits they earn from trafficking.

Countries have also been considering the possibility of giving the victims an opportunity to demand compensation from their traffickers. They do this by requesting a compensation order after being convicted and starting litigation against the traffickers in civil courts.

Capacity Building

Capacity building is an important method of preventing human trafficking. Education and outreach efforts in law enforcement, justice and tourism help in fighting human trafficking. Different officers, who hold positions in governments have been targeted for further training in order to equip them with skills on how to identify, rescue and provide the right referrals for human trafficking victims.

In countries like the US, experts have been involved in training local judges, law enforcement agencies, lawyers and community watch groups on how to enhance witness protection programs (Rosenberg 20).

Other European countries have adopted the same initiatives in order to improve their capacity to detect and prevent human trafficking from taking place. They also assist the countries of origin to prevent the practice. The above outlined capacity building methods are important in preventing human trafficking.

Conclusion

Anti-trafficking campaigns have been on the increase in the recent past although the global progress against human trafficking has been inconsistent and hard to measure. To date, most of the work that has been done on human trafficking portrays the emphasis on prosecuting the traffickers.

However, prevention might be the most effective way of combating the practice in the long-run. It is important for governments to devote more energy and resources in preventing the practice rather than dealing with it after it takes place.

Works Cited

Belser, Patrick. Forced Labour and Human Trafficking:Estimating the Profits, New York: ILO, 2005. Print.

Prevention of Human Trafficking 2011. Web.

Prevention 2012. Web.

Rosenberg, Ruth. Best Practices for Programming to Prevent Trafficking in Human Beings in Europe and Eurasia, New York: Development Alternatives Incorporate, 2004. Print.

Women, War and Peace. n.d. Web.

Introduction

Human trafficking involves recruiting and forcefully transporting individuals to foreign countries with the aim of exposing them to do forced labor. Human trafficking is different from traditional smuggling of people in that the relationship between the victims and he traffickers continues after their transportation. In most cases, they are passed from one trafficker to the other.

It takes place because of the demand for cheap labor and the presence of individuals willing to move from their homes in search of better economic opportunities. It is further enhanced by the financial gains that the traffickers get.

Many governments have started dealing with the problem through programs and policies designed to prevent and protect the victims, and take legal actions against the traffickers and smugglers. Although the phenomenon has been highlighted in every part of the world, knowledge about its consequences is still limited.

Owing to its secretive nature, details on the characteristics of its victims and what they go through as well the traffickers and smugglers characteristics are hard to get and often difficult to generalize.

The available data is obtained from different nongovernmental, governmental and few academic sources. Due to its negative impacts, there is need to look for ways of preventing it. This essay will look at some of the ways that can be used to prevent and stop human trafficking.

Preventing Human Trafficking

Despite the fact that preventing human trafficking is the most effective long-term method of reducing or eliminating the practice, many governments have not been using the method. Part of the failure to use prevention methods emanates from the fact that there are no mechanisms for measuring the impact and success of prevention programs in attaining the anticipated goals.

Nonetheless, partly due to the increase in advocates of anti-trafficking and service providers, both NGOs and governments have embarked on the development of stronger practices and policies for prevention strategies. These prevention policies are classified into supply-based, demand-based and reduction of financial gains (Prevention of Human Trafficking 4).

Supply-based Policies

These prevention policies are interested in the supply of persons who are vulnerable to human trafficking. Their focus is on the vulnerable populations and channels of recruitment and transportation of trafficked victims. The programs are subdivided into four main areas.

Awareness-Raising

Raising awareness is one of the most common activities in human trafficking prevention (Prevention 10). It assumes various forms and does not only target the public at large and critical policy makers, but also individuals who are likely to fall victims in the future.

Non-governmental organizations are used to carry out awareness raising campaigns among the homeless and other groups of individuals deemed susceptible to human trafficking. Such groups include prostitutes, youths and migrant farm employees. During the campaigns, they are familiarized with possible scams and the strategies applied by human traffickers.

The awareness raising programs comprise of the establishment and promotion of hotlines which provide information on national trafficking, local television, poster campaigns, radio and education materials that tackle human trafficking (Rosenberg 14).

Legal Alternatives

Migrant advocates have raised the issue of availing legal means of moving into other countries as a means through which the various forms of exploitation that affect transnational migration could be prevented. With reference to this argument, there is a stable number of individuals who think that it is necessary for them to look for job opportunities abroad, regardless of whether they migrate legally or not.

Making it hard for individuals to migrate in accordance with the law, therefore, compels potential migrants to engage themselves in risky activities in order to look for work abroad, potentially leading them into the hands of traffickers and smugglers.

By doing away with the requirement for migrants to take such risks of crossing borders illegally, the provision of legal alternative avenues for migration or temporary work abroad is considered one method through which the role of, and opportunities for, trafficking could be diminished.

In the meantime, safe programs of migration are comprised of one method of providing vulnerable groups with the right information to enable them make informed decisions regarding the jobs they concede to, and of empowering them to safely migrate to other countries and look for help in case of troubles. However, it is assumed that there is adequate information available to make judgment regarding the safety of the jobs offered.

Reducing Push Factor Conditions

Long-term efforts of dealing with human trafficking are geared towards reducing the push factor conditions such as gender, poverty, inequality and lack of economic or educational opportunities. It is estimated that these factors compel people to engage in risks that eventually lead to human trafficking.

Some countries have been sponsoring programs that are involved in reduction of poverty, domestic violence, assistance programs and shelters, job training, integration programs and initiatives that prevent prostitutes against HIV/AIDS infection.

USAID has also been involved in sponsoring programs aimed at fighting corruption in governments on the basis that reduction of corruption among governments improves state resource distribution making it possible for larger groups of people to access opportunities.

In Europe, prevention of human trafficking is interpreted to mean both awareness raising and active prevention activities that ideally look into the primary causes of human trafficking.

Most countries continue with efforts of preventing human trafficking by concentrating on prostitution, migration and organized crime. Despite debates about the importance of having comprehensive prevention approaches, awareness-raising is the common prevention instrument in many countries.

Demand-based Prevention Policies

Despite the unending debate concerning the causal and enabling factors of human trafficking, research has shown that exploitable workers are highly demanded in many countries. Many industries require such workers with the need being fulfilled through trafficking (Belser 35).

Demand-based programs operate on the assumption that instituting legal actions against consumers, making services of trafficked people socially unacceptable, educating consumers about trafficking and its victims, or providing information to potential traffickers and beneficiaries about human rights, gender violence and prostitution reduces the demand of trafficked individuals.

Reducing the Financial-Gains from Trafficking

Advocates have started coming up with policies that limit the financial gains traffickers, smugglers, and corrupt individuals enjoy, which in turn enable criminal operations to survive. Governments have been working towards imposing costs at the individual and national levels. Sanctions are imposed against countries that are ranked among the most notorious in human trafficking.

The sanctions may withhold non-humanitarian, non-trade-related help or, if a country is denied such assistance, the funding for taking part in cultural and educational exchange programs is withheld. The countries might also be barred from applying for assistance from international financial institutions. At the individual level, traffickers may be forced to compensate the victims (Women, War and Peace 5).

The aim of these initiatives is to make human trafficking unattractive by increasing its cost relative to its would-be gains. It is envisaged that with the increasing arrests followed by prosecutions, traffickers will be compelled to conduct an evaluation of the benefits they earn from trafficking.

Countries have also been considering the possibility of giving the victims an opportunity to demand compensation from their traffickers. They do this by requesting a compensation order after being convicted and starting litigation against the traffickers in civil courts.

Capacity Building

Capacity building is an important method of preventing human trafficking. Education and outreach efforts in law enforcement, justice and tourism help in fighting human trafficking. Different officers, who hold positions in governments have been targeted for further training in order to equip them with skills on how to identify, rescue and provide the right referrals for human trafficking victims.

In countries like the US, experts have been involved in training local judges, law enforcement agencies, lawyers and community watch groups on how to enhance witness protection programs (Rosenberg 20).

Other European countries have adopted the same initiatives in order to improve their capacity to detect and prevent human trafficking from taking place. They also assist the countries of origin to prevent the practice. The above outlined capacity building methods are important in preventing human trafficking.

Conclusion

Anti-trafficking campaigns have been on the increase in the recent past although the global progress against human trafficking has been inconsistent and hard to measure. To date, most of the work that has been done on human trafficking portrays the emphasis on prosecuting the traffickers.

However, prevention might be the most effective way of combating the practice in the long-run. It is important for governments to devote more energy and resources in preventing the practice rather than dealing with it after it takes place.

Works Cited

Belser, Patrick. Forced Labour and Human Trafficking:Estimating the Profits, New York: ILO, 2005. Print.

Prevention of Human Trafficking 2011. Web.

Prevention 2012. Web.

Rosenberg, Ruth. Best Practices for Programming to Prevent Trafficking in Human Beings in Europe and Eurasia, New York: Development Alternatives Incorporate, 2004. Print.

Women, War and Peace. n.d. Web.

Introduction

Human trafficking is a rampant crime in both the North and the South. Men, women and children are trafficked in this dirty activity. However, women and children are the most vulnerable when it comes to abuse of their human rights.

The scale of women and children trafficking is very large but difficult to put a figure on the actual number of women and children trafficked all over the world. The trafficking of women and children has increased in the recent past and become a major social problem. The problem is borderless but very organized crime and very difficult to combat (Ghosh, 2009).

The crime of human trafficking is very secretive and remains a clandestine activity. Many cases of human trafficking are not reported while many of those reported are untraced. The problem of human trafficking is deep despite there being international initiatives to push governments to take action against the vice. Women and children are the easiest victims of human trafficking due to their vulnerability. The vulnerability of women and children makes them an easy target for traffickers.

Definition of human trafficking

Human trafficking is the movement of children, women and men against their will using force or deception with the purpose of exploiting them sexually and economically. Some are forced into the sex industry, forced labour or domestic servitude (Bernat & Winkeller, 2010).

The council of Europe describes human trafficking as a threat to the fundamental human rights and values. Human trafficking violates the basic rights of a human being according to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The rights violated include the right of freedom of movement as the victims are taken to places against their will and prohibited from any kind of movement.

They are denied the right to security, liberty and life. Their right to be free from slavery is denied. In addition, the right to free choice of employment is denied to the victims of human trafficking because they are made to work against their will in deplorable conditions. Moreover, they are not given an opportunity to choose the kind of work they would like to do rather they do the work they are forced by their abductors (Carrabine & Lee, 2009).

Reasons for increased human trafficking

The rate of trafficking has increased in the recent past due to globalisation. Globalisation has led to an easy flow of people across borders. The ease of movement makes it easy for traffickers to operate without notice. There are many causes of human trafficking such as poverty, conflicts, weak governance and discrimination.

The causes of trafficking vary from one society to another. Human trafficking can be likened to modern day slavery. It is estimated that about 27, 000, 0000 people are victims of human trafficking globally and about one to two millions are trafficked each year (United Nations Population Fund, 2009).

Other estimates show that the vulnerability of women and children is high in number. According to the United States, government between 600,000 and 800,000 people have been trafficked worldwide and eighty per cent of the total number is female. 50 per cent of them are minors or children. 70 per cent of the trafficking victims are exploited sexually (Shelly, 2010).

Vulnerability of women and children

Women and children are very vulnerable compared to men thus making them easy targets for trafficking. Human trafficking and child trafficking in particular has increased in many countries. The demand is very high in Asian countries and in Latin America. The demand is driven up by the high profits accrued from the activity. The United Nations estimates that profits from human trafficking drug come second to drug sale and arms sale. For instance, in 1997, human trafficking raked in about $7 billion dollars according to International Organization for Migration (Shelly, 2010).

Children

The need for children to work in sex tourism has led to the increased demand. Social cognitive factors during socialisation of children make them an easy target for human trafficking; they may have socialized to appreciate and respect adults making traffickers have an easy catch.

Trafficked children are different from trafficked adults because some do not even realize the situation they are in hence they cannot seek for help, as an adult would do. Some of the children who are trafficked are difficult to identity thus combating child trafficking becomes very hard.

Moreover, children and women who are initially trafficked to provide domestic labour mostly end up being abused and used sexually. Women are also trafficked for marriages (Shelly, 2010). Men and boys are usually trafficked to be exploited economically. The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) estimates that about 300,000 children who are under the age of eighteen years are trafficked to serve as child soldiers in conflict areas.

According to Estes & Weiner, 2001, children trafficking in the United States of America have an average of fifteen thousand every year; the research further shows that about seventy per cent of the children trafficked into America is exploited sexually and they get entry into the country with some kind of visa (Estes & Weiner, 2001). The other thirty per cent of the trafficked children enter the country uninspected.

Most of the children trafficked into the country gain entry through an intermediary country rather than directly from their countries of origin. The major source for trafficked children into America is Central America and Mexico. A good number also comes from Asia, and Africa. Children and women are trafficked in Africa as well; however, the crime is not well documented. The vulnerable position of the human trafficking put the women and children at a greater risk of being trafficked than their male counterparts.

Conflicts and wars make children vulnerable to human trafficking. War leads to hunger and impoverishment and hungry children are very easy to lure with foodstuffs. Traffickers take advantage of the dire situation of the children and promise them better lives elsewhere hence they follow then voluntarily.

Young girls are given promises of jobs and marriages hence fall victims of human trafficking. Children are easy to manipulate hence traffickers have an easy time in luring them. The high demand for children and the fact that traffickers see them as commodities increases their exploitation and. Children are also easy to hide from the scrutinizing eye of the public hence from legal protection.

Moreover, children fall for promises of better life or education easily. Once they are taken, out of the country, they become disoriented and without papers, they are forced to endure suffering in prostitution or as domestic servants. Some are pushed into early marriages and others forced to work in hazardous environments (UNICEF, 2003). Women refuges also fall victims of human trafficking easily especially from war prone regions such as Darfur in Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Children are vulnerable to trafficking because they are a good source of cheap labour. Most children under the age of sixteen years serve as domestic servants in many homes across the world. The demand for cheap domestic labour makes it necessary to smuggle children to foreign countries.

The children working as domestic servants are often abused by their employers but they cannot do anything about it, as they have no power. For instance, in Ghana many children are trafficked to work in the fishing industry both from within and outside the country.

Children are also vulnerable to trafficking for adoption. Childless couples in both Europe and North America often do not want to go through the red tape in child adoption process. Most will look for an easier way of getting a child and trafficking becomes the next better option.

Traffickers will look for young children to be adopted by such couples and they are encouraged by the ready market for young children. for example, in Guatemala between 1000 and 1500 babies are trafficked from the couple to be adopted by couples in North America and Europe (Child Trafficking, 2010).

Women

Women are vulnerable to human trafficking due to their economic dependence. They lack the means to support themselves financially and depend on the men in their lives. Poverty can be said to have the face of women due to feminization of poverty (Sen & Ahuja, 2009).

The women are often from very poor backgrounds and when they get a hope of a job that might enable them to support their families they do not hesitate the offer. The traffickers lure such women with the promises of jobs and once they smuggle them out their country they do whatever they will with them. The abductors may sell the women to work as domestic servants in foreign countries. The women may be mistreated by their employers but will endure the mistreatment if they are threatened to be returned to their home country.

They will often persevere because they cannot bear the thought of going back home to live in poverty as they consider this the only way to earn a living and save their families back at home from the misery of poverty (Hart, 2009). In other instances, the traffickers threaten the trafficked women that they will harm their family members if they dare run away hence the women endure all the kinds of suffering thrown their way (Sen & Ahuja, 200 9; Tapia, 2003).

The demand for women to work in prostitution is high. Trafficking for prostitution is one of the fastest growing forms of transnational crime. The highest number of human trafficking victims comes from Asia. Eastern Europe and Russia also form large source of women to be trafficked to work in the commercial sex industry in North America and Europe.

The flow of traffic of women trafficking is higher toward the developed countries; they are mostly fetched from less developed countries. When the women are trafficked into the foreign countries, they are taken to big cities, tourist cities and around military bases because the demand is high in such areas (Troubnikoff, 2003).

Women are not valued in most societies. They come second to boys and thus they are discriminated against in terms of educational and employment opportunities. The families especially if poor view the women as burdens. Such families will not hesitate to sell their daughters off to traffickers as long as there are promised to get immediate payoffs (UNICEF, 2003).

Some will also sell their daughters especially from societies where the girls pay dowry so that they can skip its payment because the dowry is usually very high. Such families living in poverty cannot afford to pay dowry and thus when an opportunity to get rid of the daughter presents itself it is not passed (Troubniko, 2003). In other instances, the traffickers might approach the families of the women and promise to offer them job opportunities abroad and many take the offer only to end up as trafficking victims.

Other women opt to look for job opportunities abroad because they lack such opportunities in their home countries. This happens because most women do not have power rather they occupy low positions when it comes to power hierarchies. Many are unskilled and lowly educated if at all they get a chance to go to school. The women see the opportunity to work abroad not only as an opportunity for economic liberation bust also as a chance for personal freedom (UNICEF, 2003; Schloenhardt, 2003).

Some families will also sell their daughters of in early marriages especially in many African societies. Young girls are sold of to old men to become wives.

Their families sell them mainly due to poverty. The old men pay high dowries hence the families take it to enable them survive economically at the expense of the young innocent girls. Some families may also hire out their girls to men or in some cases in Ghana; girls are given to priests so that their families can get protection (UNICEF, 2003). The girls are often abused and some opt to runway.

Once they run away from their husbands, they cannot go back to their homes for fear of reprimanding thus some will run away to towns. Once they reach towns they need up in working in brothels to make money for survival. The brothels become a very good environment for the traffickers to prey on the young girls. Some of the traffickers will promise the girls a better life and once they win their trust and move them across borders they become slaves to be used in the sex industry.

The collapse of the former Soviet Union and the consequent economic hardships and conflict in the then Yugoslavia increased the vulnerability of women and children to human trafficking. The lack of opportunities to advance economically makes them eager to leave their countries. The traffickers often advertise better paying jobs abroad in the local dailies, which any desperate women are wiling to take.

The lure of better opportunities abroad make the young and women easy prey for the traffickers who entrap them with false promises of a better life. Moreover, the law enforcement organs are weak in such areas and thus it is easy for criminals to run their activities unperturbed. The organized criminal gangs operate hand in hand with the law enforcers and women have no chance against such a combined force (Troubnikoff, 2003).

The demand for people to work in the sex industry increases the vulnerability of women and children. Moreover, the demand is high for domestic servants and cheap labour. Children are needed to work in sweatshops and in sex tourism, as the women are required for domestic servitude and in prostitution.

The traffickers get high profits from providing cheap labour hence they work very hard to traffic as many children and women as they can. Furthermore, the use of the same people to provide cheap labour ensures that they traffickers continue to make huge tax-free profits. It therefore becomes necessary to have women and children working under bondage (Troubnikoff, 2003).

On the other hand, the laws against human trafficking do not protect women and children against trafficking adequately. The laws are very lenient and the fines given to human traffickers are even lower than those for pushing drugs are and selling illegal arms are.

Moreover, trafficking victims are often treated as criminals making it hard for them to seek assistance from the police or other authorities. The women caught in prostitution are considered criminals and end up in jails or face deportation to their home countries. Many law enforcers do not take time to distinguish between women who work in the sex industry voluntary and those there against their will.

In some cases, the women are kidnapped and taken out of their countries of origin forcefully. Their disadvantage position in the society does not help them, as most are victims of domestic violence.

The discrimination puts the women and children in great risks of being trafficked, as the society does not offer them adequate protection because they are not considered important in the first place. Some societies view women and children, as objects that can be disposed and hence selling them to traffickers is not considered a crime (UNICEF, 2003).

The long discrimination of women is deeply rooted in some societies such that trafficking is seen as a norm and it is morally acceptable. Hence, with such perceptions towards women their vulnerability increases as the society works with traffickers (UNICEF, 2003). Unfortunately, reporting the women as missing persons does not help much as many are never traced. In other cases the women are sold by people, they know who collude with the traffickers and the women go along with their plans unsuspecting.

Moreover, violence against women and children is rampant in both the private and public spheres in many areas across the globe (Locher, 2007; United Nations, 2011). The women endure cases of physical abuse from their male counterparts. The trend of violence increases the probability of the women being trafficked twofold.

In addition, there is a perception that women and the girl child are weak and inferior to men and boys. Due to this perception, the women and children are often forced to work and inhabit destitute conditions. The men in such women and childrens lives may also recruit them or force them into the hands of traffickers (UNICEF, 2003).

Human trafficking in the global south

The Global South is acts as the source for trafficking. Women and girls end up in the commercial sex industry where they are forced to work in inhuman conditions by their abductors who keep their travel papers so that they have no way of running away. The children are trafficked in sex tourism.

Increased sex tourism in the Southeast Asia region has led to an overflow of human trafficking victims. Children are in high demand to serve sex tourists who come from countries such as Japan, Australia, Europe and North America (Kohlweg, 1998). Paedophiles also take advantage of sex tourisms and visit the southeast region. The favourite travel destinations for sex tourism are countries such as Cambodia, Philippines and Thailand.

On the other hand, Japan acts as the largest destination for women trafficked from Asia. The women who end up in Japan are alleged to come from Thailand and the Philippines. The women from Russia and other countries in Eastern Europe are also brought to Japan. Other destinations for trafficked women are Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia. Vietnamese women are often trafficked into china and many hundreds of thousands of children and women sold into the sex industry in Thailand (Kohlweg, 1998).

Human trafficking in the global north

Many victims of human trafficking end up in the North. The North acts as a destination for many trafficked women and children. However, it is important to note that human trafficking also occurs internally with the North.

The problem of trafficking of women and children into the United States has not been major like in countries such as Japan or Australia but the problem has been on the increasing (Territo & Kirkham, 2009). Many human trafficking are taken to America from the south to work as forced labourers and serve in the sex industry. For instance, the state of Georgia has a high number of child prostitutes.

Children are trafficked from the south into the North. For instance, in the United States the problem of child trafficking is rampant. In spite of the efforts to stem out trafficking, it goes and the true grasp of the problem remains vague. The United States established the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in 2000 to combat human trafficking.

The report for trafficking persons shows that about 50,000 persons were trafficked into the country in 2002 and 20,000 in 2003. The exact figure is hard to get because different agencies provide different figures and the figures might be higher than the ones provided (Gozdziak & MacDonell, 2007).

In a country such as Canada, it is estimated that about 800 people are trafficked into the country and about 2000 human trafficking victims are ferried through the country and taken to the united states. The victims are involved in prostitution, which is estimated at $400 million per year.

Mexico has a large human trafficking business. About $20 billion is made yearly making this criminal activity only second to the drug trade. Many children and women are trafficked from Mexico into the United States. Most of the victims end up in the sex industry. In the area called Chiapas, children are traded for as low as $100 and $200.

The area is very impoverished explaining why people take such little amount for their children. In addition, the area tops the world in the number of child prostitutes. Many female victims been molested, beaten and even killed in this country. The country receives many sex tourists from America (U.S. Department of State, 2009).

Conclusion

Finally, human trafficking has increased and combating the crime is a major challenge for many governments as the traffickers keep changing their means of carrying their trade. The era of globalisation has also made it easy for people to move across borders easily and human traffickers are able to move the human trafficking victims easily.

The increase in demand for children and women to be exploited sexually is worrying as more become victims of this inhuman activity that robs them of their human rights. The children and women suffer greatly in the countries they are trafficked to making their lives miserable. Trafficking of children denies them an opportunity to experience a normal childhood.

They are introduced into the adult world at a very young age and they suffer so much some with no hope for a normal life. The vulnerability of women and children has put them at risk of being trafficked. It is therefore imperative to deal with the factors that make it easy for criminal gangs to smuggle innocent children and women. More needs to be done to protect women and children from the modern day slavery.

References

Bernat, F.P. & Winkeller, C.H. 2010. Human Sex Trafficking: The global becomes local. Women and Criminal Justice, 20, 186-192.

Carrabine, E & Lee, M. 2009. Criminology: A Sociological Introduction. New York: Taylor & Francis.

Child trafficking. 2010. Web.

Estes, R.J. & Neil A. W. 2001. The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania School of Social Work.

Ghosh, B., 2009. Trafficking of women and children in India: nature, dimensions and strategies for prevention. The International journal of Human Rights, 13 (5), 716-738.

Gozdziak, M.E. & MacDonell, M. 2007. Closing the Gaps: The Need to Improve Identification and Services to Child Victims of Trafficking. Human organization, 66(2), 171-185.

Hart, J. 2009. Human Trafficking. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group.

Kohlweg, K. 1998. Combating Trafficking in Children for Labour Exploitation in South Asia. Darby PA: DIANE Publishing.

Locher, B. 2007. Trafficking in women in the European Union: norms, advocacy-networks and policy-change. The Netherlands: VS Verlag.

Schloenhardt, A. 2003. Migrant smuggling: illegal migration and organised crime in Australia and the Asia Pacific region. The Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers.

Sen, S Ahuja, J.2009. Trafficking in women and children: myths and realities. New Delhi, India: Concept Publishing Company.

Shelly, L. 2010. Human Trafficking: A Global Perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Tapia, 3. New patterns of irregular migration in Europe: seminar report 12 and 13 November 2002, Council of Europe. Turkey: Council of Europe.

Territo & Kirkham, 2009. International Sex Trafficking of Women & Children: Understanding the Global Epidemic. New York: Looseleaf Law Publication.

Troubnikoff, A.M. 2003. Trafficking in women and children: current issues and developments. New York: Nova Publishers.

UNICEF. 2003. Web. Trafficking In Human Beings, Especially Women and Children, In Africa. Web.

United Nations. 2011. Web.

United Nations Population Fund. 2009. Gender Equality: Trafficking in Human Misery. Web.

U.S. Department of State, 2009. 2008 Human Rights Report, 2009. Web.

Introduction

The challenge of preventing human trafficking in Texas and meeting the needs of its victims is complicated by the multifaceted nature of the problem. It is determined by the involvement of numerous individuals and organizations, a variety of purposes for committing the crime, and the absence of measures for distinguishing offenders from their victims (More Than 300,000 Estimated Victims of Human Trafficking in Texas).

All these obstacles to effective prevention and resolution of the cases are typical for Texas, and the states current work on eliminating the risks and helping individuals does not make a change (Human Trafficking in Texas 36). Therefore, it is critical to understand the essence of the issue by examining the circumstances of these events based on the data gathered in Texas and suggest solutions to address the revealed gaps in policies.

Analysis of the Issue

Definition and Statistics from Texas

The definition of human trafficking, despite its complex nature, implies exercising illegal methods of controlling people for receiving profits. It means that any type of the described behavior can be attributed to the problem, while sex and poor working conditions are generally emphasized as the most critical (Sanborn et al. 7). The former is frequently committed towards the persons in a difficult life situation by developing victims trust by promises of help that they do not receive from the government and society (Davies; Smith et al.). In this case, any individual, regardless of age and other circumstances, can be affected by it.

In turn, the latter is attributed mainly to adults, and this type of human trafficking is critical for migrant workers and those in the agriculture industry in particular (Tied Visas and Human Trafficking Texas 9). According to the recent statistics, the number of victims of the two types of crime in Texas amounts to over 300,000 individuals, among which 79,000 are minors and 234,000 are adults (More Than 300,000 Estimated Victims of Human Trafficking in Texas). Thus, the scope of the problem implies the inefficiency of current measures and the need to modify them promptly.

Erroneous Perceptions of the Problem

One of the main reasons why the situation with human trafficking in Texas is critical is the lack of awareness of people regarding its existence and, consequently, the neglect of the requirement to address it. The erroneous perceptions of the population are connected to their belief in the presence of such challenges in other countries, including Thailand (Human Trafficking). Also, people tend to confuse issues linked to immigration policies with the exploitation of adults from other regions of the world (Human Trafficking). These two conditions explain why there is no sufficient support for the victims of human trafficking and why the authorities do not elaborate effective solutions to it. As a result, the affected persons might not even view themselves as those in need of help (Human Trafficking).

From this perspective, the programs intended for the rehabilitation of these groups of citizens should be underpinned by the general understanding of the existence of the problem. In addition, in this case, not the victims but criminals should be blamed for it in order to form appropriate opinions of the population towards the challenge of eliminating human trafficking risks.

The Link between Human Trafficking and the Child Welfare System

Another aspect of the matter is the reasons for involving minors in human trafficking, and they are directly connected to the work of the child welfare system in Texas. According to Smith et al., the facilities aimed for assisting underage individuals in vulnerable circumstances do not have any means to support them. Moreover, the living conditions ensured by them do not provide for ones safety, and this fact explains the desire of the affected persons to seek outside help (Smith et al.). This tendency puts them at risk of becoming victims of human traffickers in the state. These people appear to be more understanding than the authorities and representatives of institutions responsible for the improvements of their life situations, and this factor exacerbates the problem.

The Legal Aspect of the Matter

The final aspect of the matter is the dubious effectiveness of the adopted measures for resolving the issue and, more specifically, the lack of legal means for this purpose. Thus, for example, the authorities in Texas still struggle with prohibiting websites advertising sexual services, such as Backpage, despite the corresponding legislation (Human Trafficking in Texas 21). This failure to control social media means the impossibility of preventing communication between offenders and their clients. Also, the adoption of The Trafficking Victim Protection Act Reauthorizations and numerous revisions did not contribute to the task of eliminating the problem of commercial sex for minors (Tied Visas and Human Trafficking Texas 5; Satija et al. a). Hence, the implementation of the changes suggested by these decisions in Texas does not seem possible without referring to the practices of other states.

Solutions to the Problem

The described challenges related to finding solutions to human trafficking in Texas imply the development of preventive measures. This task should be performed with regard to the identified aspects of the problem in order to ensure the effectiveness of new suggestions. Considering the analysis conducted above, these areas include the need for increasing individuals awareness of the situation in terms of this crime, using other states experience and improving the mechanisms of recognizing the offenses. In addition, allocating funds for these objectives, establishing facilities for assisting victims, and reconsidering the provision of psychological assistance are required.

Increasing The Awareness of Children

The elaboration of a new approach to human trafficking and eliminating its risks should begin with the attention to childrens awareness of this crime. This necessity is conditional upon their vulnerable position compared to other population groups as well as the ongoing process of personality formation. The latter means that they might struggle with learning ones value and their own worth and, consequently, suffer from the lack of respect towards themselves and their bodies, which makes them victims of human traffickers (Talking With Kids About Human Trafficking). In order to avoid the adverse consequences of this factor, education programs for them should incorporate information concerning financial literacy and the appropriateness of working conditions.

Legal Means: Guidance from Different Organizations and Other States

The legal aspect of human trafficking in Texas is insufficiently addressed; hence, these risks can be eliminated when relying on the experience of other states and, more specifically, international organizations. For instance, the United Nations Protocol to Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons can serve as the basis for further programs as it clarifies the patterns of this offense for their prevention (Tied Visas and Human Trafficking Texas 3). Subsequently, various solutions, such as national enforcement operations in San Francisco, California, or a public education campaign in Atlanta, Georgia, should be introduced in Texas (Sanborn et al. 67; 72). These measures were reported to be effective for finding criminals and informing citizens and, therefore, correspond to the states needs.

Reallocating Funds for Combatting the Problem

Another vital requirement for the authorities in Texas is related to the improper use of funds for addressing the risks of human trafficking and assisting its victims. According to the information provided by the University of Texas in Austin, $6.5 billion is intended for this purpose; however, there are no reports about how they help the affected persons (More Than 300,000 Estimated Victims of Human Trafficking in Texas; Satija et al. b).

Meanwhile, many girls with a history of sexual abuse end up in jails instead of the institutions intended for helping them in rehabilitation in society (Satija et al. a). In this situation, they simply have no means for protection, and this fact means that the funds available to the authorities are not used for their benefit. As a result, the individuals in this population group cannot return to normal life and see no other option but to return to the human traffickers. This outcome leads to the necessity to reassess the use of funds and make the required changes in this respect.

Establishing Facilities Helping the Victims

The previous section is complemented by another crucial factor, which is the absence of facilities in Texas responsible for the assistance to the victims of human trafficking. According to Satija et al. a, the only institution in the state available to them is called Freedom Place, and it cannot meet the needs of these individuals. The failure to do so determines why the girls do not have access to any medical services and the providers of psychological help (Satija et al. a). This circumstance means that establishing institutions for these purposes should be a priority for Texas. It is clear that this measure will require funds; nevertheless, considering their availability and the suggested reconsideration, this project is possible to implement and thereby allow these persons to become full-fledged society members.

Helping Vulnerable Children

The final measure related to the prevention of human trafficking in Texas is the particular attention of the states representatives to the needs of vulnerable children. As follows from the evidence provided by researchers, the majority of victims are those from low-income families and with a previous history of domestic abuse (Human Trafficking 31; Satija et al. a). Therefore, the assistance to these individuals in terms of finances and other aspects essential for their wellbeing will be effective in ensuring their lack of trust in strangers, who can potentially be human traffickers. In other words, the earlier the problems of some citizens are revealed, the more suitable the implemented measures are in the case of possible control exercised by others.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the problem of human trafficking in Texas is critical because of several reasons. First, the people in this state have erroneous perceptions regarding the prevalence of this crime and its causes, which makes them vulnerable to offenders. Second, the child welfare system does not have effective means for supporting new generations. Third, the legal methods of controlling this offense are ineffective when applied to websites and other social media.

In order to eliminate the accompanying risks stemming from these challenges, the solutions should address the identified issues. Thus, it is important to increase the awareness of children by introducing education programs, use the experience of international organizations and other states as guidance, and reallocate funds. The last measure will be the most significant in this case since it will allow establishing facilities for assisting victims and prevent minors involvement in human trafficking by timely helping them.

Works Cited

Davies, David Martin. Human Trafficking In Texas: Sex Slavery In Our Own Backyard. Texas Public Radio. 2018. Web.

Human Trafficking. Ken Paxton Attorney General of Texas, n.d. Web.

Human Trafficking in Texas. n.d. [PDF Document].

More Than 300,000 Estimated Victims of Human Trafficking in Texas. The University of Texas in Austin. 2017. Web.

Sanborn, Robert, et al. Children at risk: The State of Human Trafficking in Texas. The Texas Bar Association, 2009.

Satija, Neena, et al. Texas Couldnt Help This Sex-Trafficked Teen, So Authorities Sent Her to Jail. The Texas Tribune. 2017. Web.

Satija, Neena, et al. Solutions: What Texas Can do to Help Child Sex-Trafficking Victims. The Texas Tribune. 2017. Web.

Smith, Morgan, et al. How Hollow Rhetoric and a Broken Child Welfare System Feed Texas Sex-Trafficking Underworld. The Texas Tribune. 2017. Web.

Tied Visas and Human Trafficking Texas. n.d.

Talking With Kids About Human Trafficking. The Coalition to Combat Human Trafficking, n.d. Web.

De Shalit, Ann, et al. Human Trafficking and Media Myths: Federal Funding, Communication Strategies, and Canadian Anti-Trafficking Programs. Canadian Journal of Communication, vol. 39, no. 3, 2014. pp. 385-412.

The article by De Shalit et al. is a relevant source for investigating the problem of human trafficking in Canada. It is entitled Human Trafficking and Media Myths: Federal Funding, Communication Strategies, and Canadian Anti-Trafficking Programs. As its name suggests, the primary objectives of the article are to describe the fundamental points that are associated with the crime of human trafficking and strategies for monitoring the processes related to this crime. The article is divided into a few sections that are each nevertheless rather extensive. The authors describe the governments influence on the level of human trafficking and argue that the concept of slavery is almost the same as modern human trafficking (De Shalit et al. 391). The principles by which appropriate funding levels are determined for investigating cases of human trafficking also fall within the scope of issues examined by the article. De Shalit et al. also describe the involvement of non-governmental organizations and their impact on improving certain provisions of human trafficking law (405). Media strategies are also presented as a generally successful method of combating modern slavery in all its manifestations.

The data that is presented in the article is directly relevant to the topic of human trafficking and can be used as a generally reliable source of information. The activities of non-governmental organizations are often necessary for the process of uncovering crimes related to human trafficking. It is not always easy for law enforcement agencies to have a complete awareness of all cases where people are illegally detained for their exploitation. Because of this, the work carried out by non-governmental organizations provides substantial assistance to the authorities and can play a significant role in solving these issues.

As De Shalit et al. note, the Criminal Code of Canada also overlaps with the work of these organizations, and sometimes the government can rely on these groups help when sponsoring their activities by the established budget (407). Therefore such organizations can be beneficial. Their efforts are likely to be connected not only with the search for potential criminals but also other activities, for example, identifying the most dangerous sectors of society, monitoring activity on the labor market, etc. Perhaps, if it were not for these organizations, the situation in the country would be even more complicated. Thus the influence of non-governmental organizations on the protection of people in Canada can be considered justified and used as an argument in their favor.

Hastie, Bethany, and Alison Yule. Milestone or Missed Opportunity: A Critical Analysis of the Impact of Domotor on the Future of Human Trafficking Cases in Canada. Appeal: Rev. Current L. & L. Reform, vol. 19, no. 1, 2014, pp. 83-93.

The article written by Hastie and Yule is entitled Milestone or Missed Opportunity: A Critical Analysis of the Impact of Domotor on the Future of Human Trafficking Cases in Canada. The authors describe a case that occurred in Canada in 2011 and is now known as the Domotor case (Hastie and Yule 84). It was connected to the most extensive exposure of a large human trafficking ring in the history of Canada. The case of Domotor was not associated with sexual exploitation but instead involved the sale of people as a cheap labor force. Men were brought from Hungary and on arrival in Canada, their documents were taken away and they were forced to work practically for free. At the same time, these peoples living conditions were utterly unsanitary as they had to sleep in dirty barracks. The authors note that the perpetrators in the Domotor case were accused of several offenses, including illegal trafficking in human beings, violations of working conditions, etc. (Hastie and Yule 86). This event led to one of the most significant court cases in Canada, which involved charges against the people accused of these crimes.

This article is directly relevant to the topic under investigation, as it affects one of the most famous Canadian court cases related to human trafficking. To establish the seriousness of the crimes committed, Hastie and Yule cite the provisions of the authoritative document for such matters, the Criminal Code, which provides for penalties and determines a crimes gravity (88). Even though such a severe crime was solved, it does not mean that the problem of human trafficking ceased to be relevant. While criminals probably are less active today, it is impossible to claim that trafficking has been destroyed.

The Domotor case raised essential issues and questions regarding Canadas Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) program for trafficked persons (Hastie and Yule 92). According to this program, those people who were victims of human trafficking can receive several advantages from the state, including the possibility of remaining in the country, assistance with housing, etc. Thus successful measures to capture a large gang of criminals marked the beginning of a serious national struggle for employees freedom in Canada and helped many people to regain their freedom. The articles findings are backed by careful arguments and can be of use in further research.

Kaye, Julie, and Bethany Hastie. The Canadian Criminal Code Offence of Trafficking in Persons: Challenges from the Field and Within the Law. Social Inclusion, vol. 3, no. 1, 2015, pp. 88-102.

The scholarly article written by Kaye and Hastie is entitled The Canadian Criminal Code Offence of Trafficking in Persons: Challenges from the Field and within the Law. This article examines one of the most important Canadian documents that determine the procedure and degree of punishment for criminal offenses (Kaye and Hastie 88). Human trafficking plays a significant role in this code and is treated as one of the most serious criminal offenses in terms of legal punishment. The authors mention amendments to the document that have been recently adopted to improve some points of the code (Kaye and Hastie 95). The article also provides a detailed definition of what human trafficking is and of what components this crime consists, and what organizations are involved in investigating specific issues. Also, Kaye and Hastie describe some of the limitations that the Criminal Code has and explain that many of them are conditioned by a democratic societys conventions (96). There are no examples of criminal cases investigated by the provisions of the Code.

The use of information from this article can be important for the current study since the data presented describe in detail all the legislative procedures that are necessary when assessing the gravity of various crimes. Human trafficking is a criminal offense; therefore the Criminal Code is the basic document regulating the legal aspects of this crime and the consequences that it entails. Perhaps the limitations and obstacles described by Kaye and Hastie could be considered by the government to change the situation for the better (95). The democratic structure of society sometimes does not allow for carrying out investigations to the fullest degree, and some conventions interfere with the investigative process. For example, without a sufficient evidentiary basis, it is impossible to hold a person or a group of people accountable for forcibly imprisoning someone. Even if much relevant and useful evidence is collected, it may not be enough. Thus the use of this article for further research is fully justified by its detailed descriptions of the Criminal Codes provisions.

It is important to not only take into account the provisions of the Criminal Code but also to assess in advance whether a certain crime can be regarded as particularly dangerous. Nevertheless, the authors argue that proposals for the revision of certain sections of the Criminal Code can be made (98). If this is so, the government probably needs to pay attention to some issues. It is necessary to provide sufficient arguments in favor of the need for specific amendments. In the case of such a dangerous and serious crime as human trafficking, it is essential to bring about improvements. For example, providing investigators easier access in case of suspicion of human trafficking can help catch the criminals faster and relieve the suffering of the unfortunate victims. Surely no conventions should prevent the judicial system from helping people who are in trouble or bringing to justice those who deserve it.

Social Issue

Nowadays, minority groups in the U.S. face numerous challenges connected with social, political, ethical, and other issues. Human trafficking is one of the most severe ways of harassment that humanity has ever faced. In this research paper, the issue of human trafficking concerning minorities will be discussed in detail; the measures of addressing the problem and dealing with it will also be analyzed.

The issue of human trafficking became documented only at the beginning of the 21^st century. This phenomenon was defined as a new crime in 2000 when the U.S. passed the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA) (Austin & Farrel, 2017, para. 1). As defined by Bryant-Davis and Tummala-Narra (2017), human trafficking, whether sex trafficking or trafficking for labor, is the exploitation of people through force, fraud, or coercion (p. 152). According to Dirks and Hinton (2016), human trafficking is the second most profitable illegal industry in the world (p. 57). For many years, this issue has been an important research subject.

People are exploited for numerous reasons: many studies emphasize that victims are mostly sexually abused or used for labor. According to Dirks and Hinton (2016), women and children are the groups that are especially vulnerable to human trafficking, and children and teenagers frequently become victims of commercial sex. Human trafficking is followed by the psychological and physical distress of victims, leading to global negative health consequences (Zimmerman & Kiss, 2017). Not all people survive such harassment or return to their previous mental or physical condition, which makes the issue necessary to be solved.

Human trafficking is a serious social problem concerning people in all countries around the world. However, it is important to understand that minority groups can be especially vulnerable to such a way of abuse. Dirks and Hinton (2016) confirm that it is difficult to collect data about the number of minority representatives being trafficked around America. First, sexual abuse is difficult to identify as it is often not followed by any physical signs. Then, language, social, and cultural barriers can also be obstacles to a proper assessment of the situation (Dirks & Hinton, 2016). Moreover, some people do not report the abuse due to fear or other personal reasons.

There are certain reasons why the minority groups of the U.S. are in more danger in comparison to other social classes. First of all, as Bryant-Davis and Tummala-Narra (2016) emphasize, cultural oppression in the form of racism and ethnic bias plays a crucial role in the problem (p. 152). According to the researchers, marginalized people, especially women and children, may be viewed as commodities to be used for the purposes of perpetrators who hold more economic or social power (Bryant-Davis & Tummala-Narra, 2016, p. 154). The researchers add that racially and ethnically targeted groups are at increased risk for poverty, homelessness, low-quality education, and acts of violence (Bryant-Davis & Tummala-Narra, 2016, p. 157). As a result, it is possible to notice that human trafficking is closely connected with social stratification and dominance over minorities. Furthermore, other aspects, such as unawareness of the victims about how to report their abuse, can be a problem for documenting cases of human trafficking among minorities.

Although the problem is evident, it is difficult to collect enough data concerning the issue. Many immigrants are undocumented, and it is impossible to estimate the number of human trafficking victims. However, many measures have already been taken to prevent the situation from the decrease. In the next part of the paper, one of the organizations addressing and managing the issue will be analyzed.

Social Action

As the problem of human trafficking is a critical issue demanding thorough consideration and urgent actions, many organizations dealing with the problem have already been created. Some of these foundations and unions are concerned about specific groups of population or separate countries; some of them deal with slavery as a global problem. In this part of the research paper, the action of the Polaris Project against human trafficking will be discussed, and specific examples will be analyzed in detail.

Polaris Project is a non-profit, non-governmental organization, which has proven to be one of the most effective foundations combatting human trafficking. The organization was founded in 2002 with the mission to address the problem of slavery and prevent it in the future (Data and research, n.d.). There are three main directions in which it works to solve the slavery issue. First of all, its National Human Trafficking Hotline provides support for victims of the crime. Then, the company operates a real-time dataset that allows tracing the dynamics of human trafficking. Finally, since one of the goals of the company is to predict the spread of slavery in the future, it creates strategies to eliminate the problem (Data and research, n.d.). To better understand the measures taken by the organization, it would be appropriate to discuss the specific examples of its activities.

The organization emphasizes that domestic workers, such as house cleaners and nannies, can be in danger of human trafficking. According to the recent article published on the Polaris website, this sphere of occupation is mostly female, with many immigrants employed (Positive steps towards protecting house cleaners, 2019). To eliminate the risk of this group of people being abused, Polaris established bills of rights for such workers. Since many of these people come from abroad with their employers, many of them do not speak English and are not aware of U.S. government institutions. Therefore, under the assistance of Polaris, the U.S. Department of State launched an expanded registration program (Positive steps towards protecting house cleaners, 2019). Such measures can reduce the isolation of these workers and protect them from the violation of their rights.

Another example of the Polaris activity is connected with providing support for people who survived human trafficking. The supervisors working for the organization consult the victims of slavery via a hotline and consider every individual case. The problem that specialists emphasize is that sometimes the victims of the crime are viewed as criminals, as they are typically involved in illegal actions against their will. In response, Polaris specialists provide report cards for every state to define the laws that work in every case of abuse (State report cards, 2019). This measure helps human trafficking victims clear their criminal records to start a new life free of injustice.

The company has achieved outstanding results concerning anti-human trafficking measures. It takes part in creating slavery-related bills and laws and collaborates with many international organizations like the International Organization for Migration and has several awards for its contribution to the global changes. Annual statistics, educational articles, and other measures allowed the organization to significantly contribute to worldwide combatting against slavery and establish constant control over the situation.

In conclusion, human trafficking is one of the crucial problems existing today; it is a severe crime that is difficult to control and predict, and minority groups are more vulnerable to harassment. However, necessary actions have already been taken to prevent the situation from the increase. With the help of local and international anti-slavery organizations like the Polaris Project, new strategies and will allow solving the human trafficking problem.

References

Austin, R., & Farrel, A. (2017). Human trafficking and the media in the United States. In Oxford Research Encyclopedia. Web.

Bryant-Davis, T., & Tummala-Narra, P. (2016). Cultural oppression and human trafficking: Exploring the role of racism and ethnic bias. Women & Therapy, 40(1-2), 152169. doi:10.1080/02703149.2016.1210964.

Dirks, A., & Hinton, S. (2016). Human trafficking of Latino immigrants: Our responsibility as social workers. Change of Colors. 2016 Conference Proceedings. 5660.

Data and research. (n.d.). Polaris Project. Web.

Positive steps toward protecting house cleaners, nannies, and other domestic workers. (2019). Polaris Project. Web.

State report cards: Grading criminal record relief laws for survivors of human trafficking. (2019). Polaris Project. Web.

Zimmerman, C., & Kiss, L. (2017). Human trafficking and exploitation: A global health concern. PLoS Med. 14(11), 111. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1002437.

Many people believe that making prostitution a legal activity will help raise the status of prostitutes and promote their protection. However, promoting prostitution as a job does not help women but the sex industry. People often do not realize that, for example, decriminalization implies that this process occurs within the entire sex industry, not just for women. In addition, the fact that the legalization of prostitution gives men the right to consume sex services legally, meaning that they are in an inherently advantageous position, is also overlooked. Of the existing models in the world, which have already shown their results, the Scandinavian model is the most optimal, involving the criminalization of the demand for sex services.

Prostitution as a phenomenon has given rise to sex tourism, which has led to an increase in trafficking, that is, the illegal buying and selling of people. This act is presented as voluntary only on the outside. It is impossible to imagine a full-fledged, powerful development of a society where people are perceived as objects of purchase and sale, as commodities to be bought for money. In addition, prostitution is one of the key routes for the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. It is also important to note that many women fall into the hands of pimps as children and are traumatized. As a result, they have difficulty accepting themselves, understanding what is good and what is bad, and evaluating their own skills.

The legalization of prostitution does not solve the problem of its illegal forms. Since most people who come into the sex business are poor and want to make easy money, they will either hide their income or go underground. They may also be driven to the streets by an unwillingness to undergo medical examinations because they are carriers of venereal or other chronic diseases, such as tuberculosis. According to statistical data, it is mainly women of reproductive age who are involved in prostitution (Zenouzi et al., 2021). This means that some of them, having suffered from illnesses, surgical interventions, and various psychological traumas typical for this profession, will not be able to create full-fledged families and give birth to healthy children. No country where prostitution is legalized has a law requiring clients to undergo a medical examination or provide a recent certificate that they are free of venereal diseases. It follows that medical examinations for prostitutes alone do not protect them from contracting sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS, which can be transmitted to clients (Halatoko et al., 2017). By registering, a prostitute loses her anonymity and becomes more vulnerable in society. Her acquaintances, friends, and close relatives can find out about her profession, which can cause them psychological trauma.

The growth in the number of prostitutes and the rejuvenation of the business as a whole is related to the socio-economic situation in the country, not to the authorization or prohibition of prostitution. Improving living standards and the states social policy in the sphere of family, motherhood, and childhood will only increase the birth rate and improve the demographic situation in the country. It will also motivate many girls and women to give up prostitution. Trafficking in human beings is an independent crime and is not directly related to the presence or absence of a countrys prohibition on prostitution (Allen, 2021). However, permission to sell ones body at the state level can positively impact the crime dynamics associated with the illegal international trafficking of women. It seems that the arguments presented are valid and weighty because they are based on statistical data.

References

Allen, K. (2021). Prostitution vs. human trafficking: Understanding exploitation. Exodus Road. Web.

Halatoko, W. A., Landoh, D. E., Saka, B., Akolly, K., Layibo, Y., Yaya, I., Gbetoglo, D., Banla, A. K., & Pitché, P. (2017). Prevalence of syphilis among female sex workers and their clients in Togo in 2011. BMC public health, 17(1), 219.

Zenouzi, A., Rezaei, E., Behboodi Moghadam, Z., Montazeri, A., Maani, S., & Vasegh Rahimparvar, S. F. (2021). Reproductive health concerns of women with high risk sexual behaviors. SAGE open nursing, 7, 1-11. Web.

The issue of human trafficking can be discussed as challenging and causing people to avoid this problematic topic because there are opinions that this problem cannot be overcome or addressed effectively. However, it is almost impossible to ignore the data that illustrate how many persons become victims of human trafficking annually. Therefore, it is important to focus on the most controversial or shocking aspects of this problem, as well as on the ways to resolve it.

The Most Shocking Aspects of Human Trafficking

While reviewing the materials related to this topic, it is possible to identify the following details that can shock the audience: people can use products of human trafficking in the form of manufactured goods or vegetables without realizing this fact; thousands of children are sold into domestic slavery; there are many situations when police officers can act as offenders rather than protectors. According to Thrupkaew (2015), more than 65% of human trafficking is related to producing certain goods and using human resources in such fields as agriculture and construction.

In addition to people who purchase results of such labor unintentionally, there are persons who choose human trafficking as a solution to their problems. Thousands of children become victims of domestic slavery because traffickers promise better conditions for these poor children, and their parents agree to make a deal (Worldfocus, 2009). What is more important is that many victims of trafficking cannot find assistance even in the police. Thus, between 20 and 60 percent of the people in the sex trade who were surveyed said that they had been raped or assaulted by the police (Thrupkaew, 2015). However, in spite of the fact that the data are shocking, there are still no adequate responses to this problem.

Solutions to Address Human Trafficking

It is possible to propose several solutions to address the problem of human trafficking, and all of them are based on the idea of overcoming poverty and inequality in society. As a consequence, such solutions seem to require a lot of time and resources in order to achieve high results. Petriliggieri (2013) claims that the main cause of human trafficking is poverty that should be discussed with the focus on such dimensions as financial resources, health-related well-being, accommodation, level of education, occupational integration, societal integration, integration regarding laws of residence and family of origin (para. 3).

The combination of these factors can be associated with a high rate of human trafficking, and the key solution is a prevention program that can be used to improve the living conditions of vulnerable groups. However, opponents of focusing on poverty state that the problem is in human traffickers criminals who commit criminal acts against victims and vulnerable people (United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking, 2013, para. 11). One more problem is the Internet and online advertisements that attract thousands of potential victims (Boyd, 2013). Therefore, the required solutions are in strengthening the punishment for human traffickers and regulating online platforms that spread such advertisements.

It is important to start with creating more places for working and developing in communities and pay attention to supporting family networks. In communities, it is necessary to focus on the life of vulnerable groups and provide assistance. In addition, more social workers and authorities should be involved in preventing cases of human trafficking in communities with a high level of unemployed people and migrants.

References

Boyd, D. (2013). Restricting classified advertising websites helps pimps and human traffickers.

Petriliggieri, F. (2013). Poverty is the root cause of human trafficking.

Thrupkaew, N. (2015, March 1). Human trafficking is all around you: This is how it works [Video file].

United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking. (2013). Human trafficking is caused by the greed of criminals.

Worldfocus. (2009, July 24). The global economic crisis pushes human trafficking [Video file].