Category: Human Trafficking

ABSTRACT

This paper seeks to briefly analyses the various facets of the internet i.e. surface web, deep web and dark web, in addition to the mysterious and clandestine nature of the dark web which facilitates the perpetration of heinous offences, especially human trafficking, without the fear of being discovered. Further, the paper provides a bird’s eye view of the domestic legal structure and the relevant international conventions that aim at combating human trafficking. However, the failure of the legislature to evolve with modern technology has led to a glaring legislative void in the realm of human trafficking on dark web. The paper is primarily set on the analysis of a plethora of credible secondary data. Furthermore, the objectives sought to be achieved through this study are manifold in nature: Firstly, in-depth comprehension of the nature, evils and reach of the dark web. Secondly, to analyses the mode and extent of impact on the transformative technology on human trafficking. Thirdly, to emphasize the inevitable need for a legislation that seamlessly governs Human trafficking on the dark web separately.

INTRODUCTION

In the summer of 2018, A heavenly opportunity turned out to be a hellish nightmare for a young British Model who was kidnapped by a group named “Black Death”, by luring her into a fake photoshoot and she was auctioned online on the dark web.

Technological advancement has opened the doors for global commerce, information and cultural exchange. The Internet has remained a strong skeletal structure for the evolution of e-commerce and it’s allied activities. But, every development has emerged with it’s very own pros and cons within the vast, mysterious and incomprehensible depths of the Internet. While active efforts are engaged, in order to overcome some obstacles, certain mysterious aspects like the dark web are still thriving in full swing. In fact, over the last decade, dark web has become synonymous with unlawful trade activity through it’s nefarious dealings in drugs, human trafficking, child pornography, credit card frauds, identity thefts, murders, kidnapping and trade of human meat.

THE MYSTERIOUS DARK WORLD OF INTERNET

The internet is not only being used by traffickers as a place of choice to sell the services which are forced upon the victims like prostitution, but also, is being used as a tool to recruit the victims. In a survey by an NGO named Thorn, 63% of the victims of sexual exploitation revealed the role of technology in child trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children.

This type of activity takes place on the part of the internet where most of our daily internet activity occurs i.e. Surface web and is very easily accessible through popular search engines like Google and Bing. However, there is a part of the internet which is more than 500 times bigger than the surface web i.e. the Deep web which is not a searchable part of the web. It requires an exact address link or a link to another link after you have entered the deep side of the web.It is commonly used for online banking, e-mails, web forums which require registration to view content or to use services that the users must pay for , restricted or private access to social media accounts or profiles.

Beneath the Deep web there is another division of the internet, The Dark Web which gives the best possible cover for many illegal activities as this part of the internet is always kept hidden.While one would believe dark web to be an impenetrable and enigmatic fortress, The access to such a cornucopia of illegal services can be gained by simply accessing a certain browser like Tor or I2P. Such browsers are adept in data encryption through different nodes which are based worldwide which makes the tracking of the node to an IP address extremely difficult.

If the internet is considered to be an iceberg, the surface web is the visible part of the iceberg which is in fact only 4% of the internet. Below the waterline and what would constitute about 90 % of the internet is the Deep Web and the crevices even beneath the safe zone of deep web lies the mysterious world of dark web which again constitutes the remaining portion of the internet.

DARK WEB – THE HUB OF HEINOUS ACTIVITY

The Dark Web uses ‘Onion Encryption’ which is a multilayered encryption technology that ensures that the IP address of the user is encrypted at each layer and that is passed on to a randomly selected volunteer server, which is the next layer and in the route process, the destination website only receives the last IP address and so the destination website would be oblivious as to whom it is actually communicating with.Thus as the name suggests, onion encrypted websites access is passed through layers like an onion and guarantees near anonymity.

Further, anonymity is also maintained through use of unregulated cryptocurrency as a mode of payment. Thus, The dark web is much more than a catchy neon sign for drug hawking and contributes immensely to data breach by selling social security numbers, financial details and personal data, in addition to, counterfeited passports, stolen guns and hitman services.

The very nature of the dark web propels perpetrators of heinous offences such as child pornography, bestiality, prostitution etc. to pounce on their unsuspecting victims within the undiscoverable recesses of the dark web with about 2.5 million daily visitors. However, the anonymity on dark web is also convenient for discreet communications in an authoritarian state and forms a safe platform for whistleblowers.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING – THE HUMAN TRAGEDY

Human Trafficking is a monstrous and a devastating crime against humanity as it imperils the dignity and security of the victims, and grossly violates their human rights. L.M Rhodes in his article has rightly analysed that “Many understand that modern day slavery was removed from our world last century with the abolitionist efforts of William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln and the many that stood by their sides. However, human trafficking still lives amongst us and is growing at an alarming rate. In fact, there are more people in slavery today than at the time we thought human trafficking left us. There are various factors of evolution in the systems of our modern day society that have contributed to the growth of this blight against humanity. The rise of the internet and particularly the dark web are enabling traffickers to operate their crime with increased ease in today’s world.”

The nature of human trafficking is often highly organised, and often transcends cross borders and the legislative reach. Traffickers make use of the latest technology available to hide their deplorable activity with very little threat of being apprehended. The United Nations defines Human Trafficking as“The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation.”

Whereas, The Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018 defines trafficking to mean: (i) recruitment, (ii) transportation, (iii) harbouring, (iv) transfer, or (v) receipt of a person for exploitation, by using certain means.

According to the U.S Interpol, Human Trafficking can be divided into the following types:

• Trafficking for forced labour: acquiring cheap labour through techniques of coercion, undue influence and deception from developing and under-developed countries for recruitment in labour-intensive jobs.
• Trafficking for forced criminal activities: forced labour for carrying out theft, trade of counterfeit goods and forced begging etc.
• Trafficking in women for sexual exploitation: trafficking of women and children from vulnerable countries and use of organised illicit networks for sexual exploitation at destination countries.
• Trafficking for removal of organs: Illegal removal, storage and trade in organs sought after by patients worldwide.
• People smuggling : Forced labour by migrants in inhumane conditions to gain illegal passage across borders.

But, online platforms allow manifold and undetected human trafficking without the limitations of borders, physical presence and fear of discovery. The target groups of such clandestine crimes are usually women and children. While, Children are considered a supremely important national asset, A spine- chilling report of Eurpol revealed that dark websites have been providing live streaming of abuse and rape of children,inclusive of video feeds that allow pedophiles to carry out certain fantasies at paltry sums such as ordering the gang rape of an eight year old child online. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that approximately 5.5 million children under the age of 18 get forced into labor, and over one million become victims of forced sexual exploitation.

In India, The root cause of human trafficking arises from abundance of poor population, failure of the Governmental programmes and poor law enforcement machineries. It is highly deplorable and heart rending to note that many poverty-stricken children and girls in the prime of youth are taken to flesh market and forcibly pushed into flesh trade which is being carried on in utter violations of all canons of morality, decency and dignity of human kind. While, there exists a conventional domestic legal framework to combat human trafficking, India is lacking a separate legislation that governs online human trafficking.

DOMESTIC LEGAL FRAMEWORK

The domestic legal structure consists of certain constitutional provisions and certain legislations that inanely provide for prevention and redressal of human trafficking and cyber crimes. In the absence of specific provisions, general provisions such as kidnapping, abduction, wrongful confinement and grievous hurt etc. have been charged against the perpetrators of online human trafficking. But, based on the purpose of trafficking, certain special legislations can also be used. A brief analysis of the existing laws in this regard is as follows:

CONSTITUTIONAL SAFEGUARDS

Article 23 of the Indian Constitution protects the rights of victims of human trafficking by expressly prohibiting human trafficking, beggar and other forms of forced labour. Furthermore, denial of right to life and dignity enshrined in Article 21 threatens the very existence of a person. Additionally, Article 15(3) mandates the State to make special provisions for the specific upliftment of women and children.

While the Fundamental rights are mandatory injunctions for the protection of the victim, the State has also been issued Directive Principles of State Policy under Article 39(e) to ensure the health and strength of the workers, men and women and children of tender age from abuse and from economic compulsion to enter into avocations beyond their strength and or age. Similarly, Article 39(f) states that children should be provided with ample opportunities to facilitate their development in healthy, free and dignified conditions free from exploitation and moral and material abandonment and Article 42 requires the State to make provisions for securing just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief.

PROVISIONS OF INDIAN PENAL CODE

According to the National Crime Records Bureau, a total of 8,132 cases of human trafficking were reported in India in 2016 under the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Thus, certain specific provisions of IPC that deal with human trafficking and child trafficking for sexual abuse and ornographic purposes as follows:

Section 370 of the Indian Penal Code provides that whoever exports, imports, removes, buys, sells or disposes of any person as a slave, or accepts, receives or detains against his will any person as a slave, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine. Meanwhile, Section 371 punishes habitual imports, exports, removes, buying and selling etc. in slaves with either life imprisonment or a period, not exceeding ten years. Section 372 and 373 punish buying, selling, hire, purchase or disposal of any person under the age of eighteen years with the intention or knowledge that such person shall be employed or used for the purpose of prostitution or illicit intercourse with ny person or any other unlawful and immoral purpose with imprisonment of either description or for a term which extends to ten years and shall also be liable to fine. Section 374 punishes whoever unlawfully compels any person to labour against the will of the other person with an imprisonment for one year , or with both.

Whereas, Section 292 of Indian Penal Code punishes the sale, hire, distribution of any book, pamphlet,writing etc. deemed to be obscene if it is lascivious or appeals to the putrient interest or is of such a nature as a whole, which tends to deprave or corrupt persons who are likely to see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it with imprisonment for a period extending to two years and fine on first conviction and imprisonment for a period of 5 years and fine in case of subsequent convictions. Section 293 states that sale, distribution, letting to hire or circulation of obscene object to any person under the age of twenty years shall be punishable with an imprisonment extended to the period of three years and fine on first conviction and an imprisonment extended to the period of seven years and fine in case of subsequent convictions.

What is human trafficking in South Africa?

Human trafficking in South Africa comes as an exercise of forced labor and commercial sexual usage amongst imported and exported trafficked men, women, and children. Human trafficking is a world problem and one of the world’s most shameful crimes, affecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world and robbing them of their respect. Traffickers deceive women, guys, and kids from all exploitative conditions in corners of the world and pressure them each and every day.

How does trafficking have an effect on society?

Human trafficking has a devastating effect on character victims, who frequently suffer physical and emotional abuse, rape, threats in opposition to self and family, passport theft, and even death. But the effect of human trafficking goes beyond individual victims; it undermines the protection and security of all international locations is a teacher. The only things that can purpose or contribute to people being prone to trafficking include Political unbalance, Poverty, Racism, the Legacy of Colonialism, Gender Inequality, Addictions, and Mental Health. The difficulties in assessing the effect of human trafficking are most apparent when attempting to quantify its financial costs. However, key economic penalties of trafficking are described.

The price of the crime of trafficking in people contains many elements, such as the price of all assets dedicated to its prevention, the remedy and aid of victims, and the apprehension and prosecution of offenders. These expenses might also be offset in part by way of the healing of crook proceeds and assets of the traffickers. Trafficking in individuals also consequences in the loss of human sources and rate reductions in tax revenue. Further, trafficking in individuals redirects the financial benefits of migration from migrants, their families, community and authorities, or different practicable legit employers to traffickers and their associates. All warning signs are that the earnings generated with the aid of associated organized crime are vast and global. Given the ongoing nature of exploitation, human trafficking generates a steady and regular source of profits for criminal networks, with a consequent effect on different types of criminal endeavors as properly as a reliable business

Why is it necessary to stop human trafficking?

Human rights are something that anyone has to have, and when it is violated, it’s a crime against humanity. Human trafficking is a massive violation of human rights, as the perpetrators are conserving human beings in captivity and forcing them to work towards their will. Here are some solutions to human trafficking which are Fundraising, volunteering, Being conscious of the signs and symptoms of human trafficking, advocating, Holding activities to increase awareness, boycotting merchandise and corporations that permit human trafficking, and Helping survivors and staying informed.

What are the long time period consequences of human trafficking?

The sorts of physical and psychological abuse human trafficking victims experience regularly lead to serious intellectual or emotional fitness consequences, including feelings of extreme guilt, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, substance abuse (alcohol or narcotics), and eating disorders.  Migration as a response to armed struggle and insecurity consequences in giant refugee populations, exposing the most susceptible to an array of risks – sexual violence, recruitment into armed forces, and trafficking. Stringent entry requirements have extended the rules of populace movements. 

When would-be migrants fail to meet these requirements, they may hotel to illegal means, giving upward jostle to human beings smuggling and trafficking. The enlarge in demand for low-cost labor continues to entice people to flow from poor to extra-affluent locations, as a result with populations transferring in search of employment, with the attendant opportunities for exploitation, there is regular overlap between trafficking source, transit, and vacation spot sites. 9the globalized business intercourse industry has appreciably multiplied and turned out to be integrated with other factors of modernization. The demand elements dominating industrial sex work require a constant furnish of girls and children.

The business sex industry is regularly inextricably linked with tourism, both home and foreign, and some international locations are specifically promoted forex tourism’.10Widespread gender discrimination that denies ladies their rights, as properly as attitudes that consider women and girls inferior and weak and thence objectify them,   and tolerate violence against women support the existence of trafficking practices that deliver girls and girls into appalling living and working conditions. Destitute families, unable to aid their children, are susceptible to persuasion to employ or promote them, women being most inclined to commercial exploitation.in spite of international conventions, there stays indifference and a lack of domestic commitments to shield these most at chance via legislation, focus and information, and coaching of the authorities responsible to grant protection.

Why human trafficking is increasing in our society?

Unemployment, gender, age group, education, ethnicity, and caste system  are affecting elements that amplify vulnerability to trafficking. ‘These are the purpose why women are primarily trafficked, and missing children are stated high. ‘ He similarly elaborated that the earthquake has invited sudden

What are the issues of human trafficking? 

Human trafficking is a global hassle and one of the world’s most shameful crimes,  affecting the lives of thousands and thousands of humans around the world and robbing them of their dignity. Traffickers deceive women, guys, and teenagers from all corners of the world and pressure them into exploitative situations each and every day.

What is the goal of human trafficking?

The purpose or functions for which traffickers use the human beings they visit might also vary, however, the final intention of all traffickers is the same:  they exploit different human beings for profit which can be an economic obtain or cloth benefit.

Who are the traffickers?

Based on human trafficking instances that have been recognized through the National Human Trafficking Resource Center, examples of traffickers may additionally include Brothel and fake massage business proprietors and managers. Employers of domestic servants. Gangs and criminal networks. The victims of the trafficking can be recovered in this way, Survivors need greater than support corporations to exit a lifestyle they have ended up trapped in they want support services. Mental health has to be the basis to assist construct survivors closer to their healing process. Residential programming places the survivor at the center. Access to training and work experience.

What are the penalties for human trafficking?

Health: Women and youngsters trafficked for the purpose of sexual exploitation are at hazard of HIVAIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, and of spreading the diseases amongst wider society; humans are trafficked in risky conditions and regularly held, even after they reach their destinations,  Human trafficking has an impact on the folks it victimized in all areas of their lives. Every stage of the trafficking method can contain physical, sexual, and psychological abuse and violence, deprivation and torture, the pressured use of substances, manipulation, financial exploitation, and abusive working and residing conditions.

Unlike most different violent crimes, trafficking normally involves prolonged and repeated trauma. Documentation and research describe how men, females, and youth are abused in particular exploitative stipulations and the short- and long-term physical injuries, disabilities, and deaths that may additionally result. For a number of particular reasons, trafficked humans are an excellent chance of HIV infection. The trauma is skilled by means of victims of trafficking consisting of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, alienation, disorientation, aggression, and concern concentrating. Studies point out that trauma worsens at some point in the trafficking process and may also persist a ways past the end of any exploitation. While concerned with the same unsafe therapy as adults, baby victims are especially susceptible to trafficking because of their age, immaturity, and lack of experience, to abusive practices that may, for example, stunt their in addition physical improvement and persistent victimization as result of attachment, developmental and social difficulties.

The behavior of trafficking victims can be hard for 0.33 events to understand, while victims can discover it challenging to know what has occurred to them or to talk about it with or provide an explanation for it to others. Victims can also appear to those around them, even aid persons, to be uncooperative, irritable, hostile, aggressive, or ungrateful. The stigma attached to them as victims have been shown to have a tremendous and ongoing impact on their lives, consisting of the trauma skilled through the person sufferer as well as the possibility of physical rejection by means of family and community. The long-term consequences of human trafficking for the individual are complicated and rely on many factors, with no guarantee of recovery. Re-victimization is often a similar final result of the experience.

What do you mean by human trafficking?

Human trafficking is an extraordinary crime that injures humanity and the dignity of human civilization.  Trafficking means the transportation of people from their first-rate location to exclusive vacation spots for different purposes like prostitution, domestic servants, sex slavery, and many other purposes

Prevention

Prevention is inadequately addressed in anti-trafficking strategies, possibly due to the fact of uncertainty as to the effectiveness of specific preventive techniques. A lack of monitoring and evaluation of prevention packages has made it challenging to become aware of those initiatives which have been successful. Numerous complex factors contribute to trafficking in human beings, inclusive of a variety of underlying and root causal elements that impact the decisions made by people that lead to trafficking and that make contributions to a social and financial surrounding in which trafficking and exploitation can flourish. These elements include financial crisis, social exclusion, gender discrimination, and a vulnerable felony or social protection system. The treatments for these shortcomings require a broader set of moves than these designed specifically to give up traffic

Introduction

Over the last 10 years, human trafficking has been established as one of the major criminal justice problems around the globe (Nelson 2015). In short, human trafficking is a system of modernized slavery where people forcefully trade human beings illegally for the intention of sexual manipulation and forced labour (PDCA 2017). In term of size and profit, human trafficking is often acknowledged as one of the top three biggest criminal industry around the world, along with drug and weapon trafficking (Weitzer 2014). Thus, women, men and also children are trafficked and sold in the black market to be exploited every year (PCADV 2017). In today’s world, people often focus on domestic sex violence and labour trafficking (Nelson 2015). Nevertheless, international human trafficking which includes organ harvesting, sex and labour trafficking is not only prevailing, yet a strong connection also prevail between race and cultural background (Nelson 2015). However, few studies have focussed on whether race played a part in human trafficking. This report aims to examine if race is one of the risk factors in human trafficking. More specifically, it will examine the preference race of choice from both Western and Asian society and how does that help the growth of human trafficking.

Literature Review

Cultural background and the race of an individual do matter in the human trafficking market in the Western countries, under a certain circumstance, it will be a valuable asset for the traffickers (Chong 2014). For example, most of the male New Yorkers primary choice would be a non-white – where Mexican male favourite would be a white woman with blonde hair (Chong 2014). Furthermore, typical media and pornography films label African women as an untamed animal who is ready for sex with anyone, anywhere and anytime (Chong 2014). Therefore, young black woman with an average age of 16 to 30 are in high demand in European countries – especially in Italy (Chong 2014). As a result, UNICEF shows that 60% of prostitutes in Italy presently are from the countryside areas of Nigeria (Chong 2014). By the same token, ISIS battalions from the middle east invaded a village of Iraq in 2014 and sold approximately 3,000 women to fighters from their neighbouring countries such as Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Syria, Kuwait and Jordon as a reward (Kennedy 2016). Apart from this, some girls are sold as prostitutes or organs trafficked to generate funds for ISIS (Kennedy 2016). Without a doubt, all these women had been tortured, detained and sexually violated by them (Kennedy 2016). Unfortunately, race is not the only risk factor. Age, physical look and cultural background is also other risk factor in human trafficking. For instance, a young and decent looking inhabitant woman is 2.5 times more likely to encounter rape and sexual abuse (Chong 2014). Although societies played a major role in reducing the price of a woman, but the instigators also pay attention to the women’s skin colour, as some customers or buyers do not consider women with dark skin attractive (Chong 2014). In short, race and skin colour of an individual in the western society would determine if they would be a victim of human trafficking. In the other words, western countrymen consider race and skin colour of an individual as part of the human trafficking key factors.

Human trafficking in Asian countries are slightly different compare to the Westerners. Since the 19th centuries, a substantial amount of Asian were ship away while European power were dominating most of the Asian countries (Shelley 2010). Furthermore, the global financial catastrophe in 2008 aggravate the constituent forced labour of human trafficking in Asia (Shelley 2010). However, the lack of political willpower and unconcerned diplomatic matters with neighbouring countries nowadays would be the key factor for human trafficking (Shelley 2010). On the other hand, democratic country like Japan were too intimidated by the local crime organization – Yakuza (Shelley 2010). Also, leaders from an autocratic society are more concerned with political power instead of serving the people (Shelley 2010). Therefore, some Asian countries constantly involved in human trafficking as Asia has become a transition province for traffickers or crime groups such as Yakuza and “ShanZhu” to support each other’s business (Shelley 2010). For instance, Yakuza import Thai women from crime groups to Japan for sex excursion for the locals and other Asian entrepreneur (Shelley 2010). Women from rural and poorer Asian countries such as Vietnam, Nepal, India and Myanmar are traffickers primary target, trafficked women will be gathered and transferred through Thailand for further utilization elsewhere or settle down in Thai sex industry (Shelley 2010). Moreover, Vietnamese women are often sold to China through forced marriage for those who are unable to find a fiancée within their own culture (Shelley 2010). In addition, a couple in Australia were charged under the slavery offence act for smuggling Filipina women into Australia to worked in their takeaway food store and as a housemaid for them with underpaid salary and further abused (Burn 2013). To summarise, Asian traffickers do not consider race, cultural background or skin colour as the determining factors of human trafficking. In fact, they would target women who have the most limited chances to acquire education but are desperate to escape their ancestral poverty.

Discussion

Furthermore, the intersectional exploitation which includes the mythologies about the minorities sexual life, inadvertently promotes and supports the growth of unsafe sexual industries such as prostitution (Nelson 2015). This intersectional oppression also includes of myths about minority teen sexuality, which encourages risky sexual behaviour like prostitution (Nelson 2015).

In most cases, terrorist institutions will at least gain three benefits from human trafficking, starting with subjugating the enemy, then supplying fighting power and lastly generating funds (Kenedy 2016). As an example, European countries such as Italy sees black women as a wild animal who is always hungry for sex – where Mexican male goes for white and blonde women.

Human trafficking can have an effect physically, psychologically and economically on anyone involved (Fair Trade Winds, 2014). This major criminal enterprise has the power to impact someone’s life forever.

Sexual exploitation in human trafficking is, ‘the recruitment, harbouring, transportation of persons whom under threat, force, coercion, fraud, deception or abuse of power are sexually exploited for the financial gain of another’ (End Slavery Now, 2019). It is currently a major global issue, seen as under the guise of ‘modern slavery’. Through the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and collaborations with other highly reliable organisations, it was estimated that in 2016, ‘3.8 million adults and 1 million children were victims of commercial sexual exploitation’ (International Labour Organisation; Walk Free Foundation; International Organisation for Migration, 2017) in 2016. Whilst it is difficult for the data to be highly credible due to the number of victims who are either unfound or do not speak up, the ILO is a reliable and credible organisation that uses numerous other sources to collate an incredibly reliable statistic. This, therefore, increases the dependability and credibility of the data.

Experiencing any form of human trafficking, especially in relation to sexual exploitation is incredibly traumatic and can leave devastating effects on, not only the victims, but also the surrounding family members, friends, etc. A primary case study conducted with two women; survivors of human trafficking, conveys the immense trauma they face not only during the awful experience, but also the harrowing effects they face afterwards. Anneke Lucas, born in Belgium, was put to work as a sex slave as a little girl by her mother (Lucas, 2016). She was sold to work for the boss of a paedophile network, in which the clients were members of the elite (Lucas, 2016). Anneke faced horrific sexual abuse as a child that forever damaged her psychologically. Although she survived, Anneke continually struggles, ‘with PTSD and nausea whenever I hear a certain kind of airy, trippy music’ (Lucas, 2016) that are triggers to past experiences she faced.

Furthermore, the case study with Sophie Hayes; a young woman who was groomed and coerced into sexually exploiting herself by her supposed ‘best friend’. For six months, Sophie became a prostitute in order to earn money for her trafficker; a man who she groomed her into believing they were best friends and then trapped her in a foreign country to exploit for his gain (Hayes, 2012). Sophie’s experience had a traumatic effect on her, she created a new persona, becoming someone different in order to survive those months (Hayes, 2012). She experienced horrendous conditions, where she faced violence from all corners of her life, constantly stressed and anxious, consistently debilitated and faced continuous abuse, mentally and physically from her trafficker. Many of these incidences occur, due to the fact that society, mainly men, view women as objects. Whilst the equality between men and women has increased around the world, in the sex trade society there is, ‘unbalanced power relations between men and women’ (Schulze & Canto, 2014), which continues to feed this enterprise. These traffickers, which are predominantly men, are culturally taught to see the vulnerability in women and exploit them for their own gain.

Through studying the Declaration of Human Rights, it is clear that Sophie’s rights and Anneke’s were stripped from them, mainly Article 4 and 5, in which they were subjected to, ‘cruel and degrading treatment and punishment’ (Draft Committee, 1948), but also were, ‘held in slavery’ (Draft Committee, 1948). Even after surviving, Sophie’s everyday life is affected. At first she fell into a state of depression, feeling, ‘I don’t want to be in this world anymore’ (Hayes, 2012) and that she does not want to, ‘go on living’ (Hayes, 2012). Further, instinctive actions control areas of her life, ‘I jump at every loud noise and flinch if anyone raises a hand near me’ (Hayes, 2012) and whilst they may seem small, these actions indicate a traumatic impact on her, mentally.

Whilst the effect human trafficking has on the victims is harrowing and horrendous, it is not the only effect that this enterprise has on the population. Human trafficking only profits the traffickers, pimps and employers; it is a profitable business for only the offenders and economically affects the world. It was estimated that human trafficking globally generates 150 billion in illegal profits a year – 99 billion from sex trafficking, as shown in Figure 1 (Fair Trade Winds, 2014). The profits accrued from this illegal business do not add to the GDP of a nation, instead they are a tremendous loss to the economy and national security of all nations (Grewal, 2018). Furthermore, the human trafficking enterprise has been linked as a source of funding for terrorist activities (Financial Action Task Force (FATF), 2018). Terrorist organisations have been connected with using human trafficking as a way to nurture and support their activities. If social connections are spurring between illegal enterprises, it is providing these societies to continually to exploit others without detection. Although these enterprises may not approve of their cultural beliefs, they will use the means provided in order to continue their personal gain. It was stated in a highly credible report, that in 2016, ISIL fighters used encrypted communications on various networks to auction enslaved Yazidi women and using the profits to further their organisation (United Nations University, 2016). Human trafficking is a huge economic disadvantage to all nations and an advantage to other illegal groups that can profit from the business. These various sources, whilst secondary, use an enormous amount of information through other organisations, collaborating to create sufficient credible data that shows the effect human trafficking has globally and individually. Figure 1: displays the data collated on human trafficking (Fair Trade Winds, 2014)

Human trafficking for sexual exploitation is a horrific enterprise that affects the world. It does not discriminate and has no stereotypes; affecting all. The cost of human trafficking to victims is significant and often life-long; the violation of their human rights and impact the experience has on their physical and mental health is appalling. Human trafficking not only affects the victims in the moment but will forever be a part of their lives. Furthermore, globally this enterprise has a dramatic effect on the economy, not only profiting just the traffickers but also funding other terrorist activities. Whilst allowing this illegal enterprise to continue, not only is our population experiencing a ghastly way of life but the world is feeling a tremendous loss to national security and economy.

Bibliography

1. Draft Committee, 1948. Declaration of Human Rights, Paris: s.n. End Slavery Now, 2019. Sex Trafficking. [Online] Available at: http://www.endslaverynow.org/learn/slavery-today/sex-trafficking[Accessed 31 October 2019].
2. Fair Trade Winds, 2014. Human Trafficking, s.l.: s.n. Financial Action Task Force (FATF), 2018. Human Trafficking – Terrorism , s.l.: s.n.
3. Grewal, S., 2018. Human Trafficking: Threat to Economic Security of a Nation, s.l.: BusinessWorld.
4. Hayes, S., 2012. Trafficked. London: HarperCollins .
5. International Labour Organisation; Walk Free Foundation; International Organisation for Migration, 2017. Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage, s.l.: s.n.
6. Interpol, 2019. Types of Human Trafficking, s.l.: s.n. Lucas, A., 2016. Real Women, Real Stories [Interview] (19 December 2016).
7. Schulze, E. & Canto, S. I. N., 2014. Sexual Exploitation and Prositituion and its Impact on Gender Equality, s.l.: s.n. United Nations University, 2016. Fighting Human Trafficing in Conflict: 10 Ideas for Action by the United Nations Security Council, s.l.: s.n.

Centuries ago we gradually came to a halt in slave trading. Seeing human being as commodities of equal standing with other items of trade remains a repulsive thought. And it is a disheartening part of our history as humans. Sadly, the extent of this form of trade happened more in Africa, known as the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Slaves taken from the continent became the workforce in the agricultural fields of Europe and America. And today they have become the black community in these places.

Examlpe is the African Americans. But beyond the Trans-Atlantic slave trade there existed others. According to Britannica, ‘slavery has existed throughout the world since ancient times, and trading in slaves has been equally universal. Enslaved persons were taken from the Slavs and Iranians from antiquity to the 19th century, from the sub-Saharan Africans from the 1st century CE to the mid-20th century, and from the Germanic, Celtic, and Romance peoples during the Viking era.’ One of the notable slave traders is Pedro Blanco from Spain. We have been told of Edward Colston too, and others. All is now in the past. But modern slave trading, and slavery, is still around with us.

One major source of this occurrence is illegal immigration. Illegal immigration has remained a desperate move being undertaken by many individuals. Some of the reasons why people desperately seek to relocate from their homeland could include, but not limited to; economic reasons, social reasons, environmental reasons, religious/political persecution, and wars/conflicts. As illegal immigrants make their way through rough circumstances with the help of smugglers they are ignorant of what awaits them in their destination of interest. They aren’t away that most governments in developed countries don’t permit illegal and undocumented immigrants to obtain privileges in their society. As this happens human traffickers see an opportunity to exploit the vulnerable immigrants, trading them for gain. These immigrants helplessly fall victims to the heartless conducts of human traffickers who subject them to forced labour or into prostitution. This vulnerable group are not finding life easy abroad. And sadly, their ordeals are scarely taken seriously by their home governments or the host governments.

Also, few persons are being prosecuted for human trafficking crimes yearly. Things must not be allowed to continue this way. Yes we can’t stop people from moving out to seek for the good life but the decision to migrate mustn’t be taken on the basis of mere sentiments. Further, governments must begin to take development as a priority. If the countries in the 3rd world category had shown the commitment to produce a prospering economy within their territories we wouldn’t be having a thriving human trafficking business. The fight against human exploitation must be taken seriously, and it begins with reducing illegal migration.

According to the participant informants of the study area’s respondents, there is a chronic lack of paid work, specifically for unskilled labour in their settings. Youth unemployment is high in many places. The labour market for young women is often very restricted – invariably more so than for young men. Women are not as highly valued in terms of their labour as men in sectors such as productive business activities such as marketable business activities, investment in mechanized agricultural activities, competitive import – export and are therefore restricted to household work, and sales and service jobs in the informal sector. What jobs are available usually involve working for long hours and low pay under poor conditions. Domestic work and the service sector are often poorly regulated and workers are not unionized. Many young women start out as domestics in slavery-like conditions in the hope of finding something better. Poor people have great difficulty obtaining credit on reasonable terms and there is still no access to micro-credits, in particular for young women without assets of their own. Besides, female’s work migrations from Setit Humera towns are mainly caused by poverty and lose of hope to future employment after graduation from different level of education.

The trafficked respondents reported that, they are affected with many and interrelated effects of human trafficking on account of economic deficiency. Accordingly, here is a story telling which revealed trafficked victim migrant returnees are affecting with complex effects of human trafficking. One of the respondent’s life histories, aged 27 years and, her education level is degree. She stated the situation how she was suffering with complex and interrelated impacts of human trafficking as follows:

One ought to know that I don’t migrate for trip; it is the level of poverty and other problems that pushes me. I was not happy when I leave my country but there is no other option. I have graduated degree program in veterinary medicine from governmental higher education (University) but there is no job opportunity here that will make me stay and work.

Besides, the other some participant informant of irregular migrant returnee girls responded that their primary aim was not only to improve their life but also help their parents. My interest was to improve the life of my parents, to make them very rich. Being I was the elder child for my mother, I decided to migrate irregularly since I have no parent to cover my expense in the regular (legal) way. I don’t want my mother to be depressed as I love her so much.

What you earn there for a year is more than what you get in five years here. So, in order to earn a better income, you migrate. „When I thought about my country, I have never seen any hope. You can gain nothing by working here. There are college and even university graduate with no employment. And even those employed didn’t improve their own and their family life. You can’t change your life style; you are always the same while being here. In our country, it may take more than five or more years to get the money that one got by working one year in industrialized / developed country.

My father is disabled and he couldn’t do hard works such as daily laborer and heavy labor. “I’m the first born daughter in the family. I had three younger siblings who couldn’t earn additional income because they are too young to do. We had no house of our own. We rent from individuals because of poverty. The family living depended on the informal small trade we had no other means of survival and lived in a very poor situation. I dropped out of elementary school to sustain the family by working in grain mill as ordinary worker. But our living situation did not improve. It was therefore due to persistent poverty that I chose irregular migration, not only to improve my own living, but also for the family.

The informant’s response illustrates that poverty was the main cause for their irregular migration and the hope to find a better work abroad pushed them to migrate. Also, it is evident that poverty prevails in the local setting as many poor families depend on their income in the relief or aid ’program to satisfy their basic food consumptions according to the informant from parents of irregular migrants. In addition to this, other reasons that prove the informants‟ low standard of living, losing hope in the future employment opportunity in home country and the extreme poverty of their family initiate them to leave their home to work abroad. The informants stated that there are little or no employment opportunities that absorb students who failed in grade eight, ten and even twelve. Even the few employment opportunities in the informal sectors such as working in grain mill, hotel, restaurant and housemaid couldn’t improve their economic problem.

Contrary to this, some discussants in the focus group discussion responded that all sectors of the community including the poorest, the better off and the middle-income family’s youths are migrating. The rich families send their children through regular means because they want to ensure a better future and they can afford its cost. The middle income families send their daughters and/or sons via regular and irregular means as per the condition, mainly to become rich. The poorest of the poor cannot afford the cost for regular means and send their children through irregular means. In addition to this, key informant from the town bureau of labour and social affairs responds that, even some employees governmental offices including primary school teachers are migrated either irregularly or regularly to search better job opportunity and to become rich within short period of time.

This displays that, even though economy is the primary factor of irregular migration in general, and women’s irregular migration in particular, there are also other factors that drive irregular migration of youths in the town. As Patricia (2014) revealed that, poverty is a major characteristic of a developing country and is seen as a major cause of human trafficking. The quest to improve the standard of living in these families makes them accept whatever promises the traffickers offer them. It is also an issue in cases of internal and external trafficking.

Hence, as it is discovered in the study the migrants are economically powerless due to poverty. The informants participated in this study maintained that poverty accompanied with other poor economic conditions is an influential factor behind their trafficking. Having recognized how rampant poverty in the country is, migration is the only chance for many people to escape poverty and change their life.

Thus, based on the pull and push reasoning of migration, there is a common ground behind people‘s movement from in the country of origin and attractive situations the countries of destination. Poverty is frequently mentioned as a major cause of illegal migration. In this regard, an interview with the participant informants presented her life situation about the way of her migration as following:

I am from poor family, and I was always thinking of how to change and improve myself and my family’s living conditions latterly. I realized going to Beirut seems the way of getting out of poverty. With high expectation of changing my family’s problem, I borrowed many from my relatives to cover the cost of travel and a cost of brokers. I went to Beirut through paying the cost of travel including the payments given to the brokers the money gained from my family. But, after I have arrived Beirut, I lost all of my expectation. Putting my family indebted becomes painful for my life which in turn gave me tensions and trouble. I make my family indebted I could not find Beirut as I am informed by brokers and friend of mine went there ahead of me.

During data collection the researcher observed that, in western zone of Tigray particularly in the study area of Setit Humera town out migration is encouraged and the people of the town looks working abroad as the best last options regardless of its safety or not. In the study area when someone migrates and reached the intended destination country his/her family publicly celebrates, with excessive and unwanted expenditures to express their happiness and get recognition through the surrounding communities.

In addition, the statement of interview from the trafficked returned migrant participants confirmed that, due to the role of other people the victims’ determined to migrate abroad as the following verbal words of informants presented below.

SOCIAL ISSUE IDENTIFICATION

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery, defined as illegally luring humans into captivity to trade them for money or services (Davidson 462). According to the U.S. Department of State, human trafficking can be broken down into two distinct categories: sex trafficking and forced labor (“Human Trafficking” 1). Gale Global Issues defines sex trafficking as a person being forced through coercion, threat, or another force to engage in a sexual activity against their own will. In contrast, forced labor refers to victims that are employed against their will and forced to perform work. Harvard Law Professor Boggiani explains that people are more likely to be targeted for human trafficking based on their economic status rather than their ethnic group (919-920). Anyone can fall victim to human trafficking; it is a crime that takes advantage of women, men, and children. Although anyone can be trafficked, the mass majority of victims are women and girls due to sexual exploitation being the primary form of human trafficking. Human trafficking is an international issue, but this essay will be focusing on how it impacts the United States. One major problem of human trafficking is “The presence of sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis among trafficked victims plac[ing] the general population at risk” (Sweileh 7). The prevalence of these diseases creates a problem for both human trafficking victims and the general population. Human trafficking is also a gross violation of human rights; victims’ rights to life and liberty are stripped away by their traffickers. Regarding America’s struggles with trafficking, Boggiani reports:

…[M]any believe that trafficking only involves foreign individuals, usually from Asia, South and Central America, or Africa. Contrary to the stereotype, this is not the case. In the United States, many trafficking victims are American. According to an interview conducted with law enforcement officials of the Boston area, even in the sex market, which traditionally is thought to be populated by foreign sex workers, Americans are the vast majority. (919)

This quote shows that human trafficking is closer to home than one may think. Trafficking is a domestic and a global problem; it presents itself in every country in which a society exists. Human trafficking is not a controversial issue, it is indisputably recognized as a heinous crime that negatively

HISTORY

Unfortunately, in American society today, human trafficking has become an epidemic, especially in the last fifteen years. Over 200 years ago, the passing of the thirteenth amendment abolished slavery in the United States, but sadly it is a major destination country for traffickers with up to 17,500 victims moved into the U.S. annually (Baird). This underground criminal industry is not only present in third world countries, but civilized countries as well. Trafficking survivors are rarely able to escape their circumstances, most end up dead or with life threatening diseases. Human trafficking continues to be a problem in today’s society, “…it is difficult to break up human trafficking rings that despite the range of nations involved, 15% had no convictions from 2010 to 2012, 26% had less than 10 convictions per year.” (Oster and Suson). This quote highlights how human trafficking continues to be a problem in the United States, serving the purpose of satisfying the illicit desires of traffickers. Sex trafficking and forced labor are international demands, traffickers look to exploit any vulnerable man, woman, or child. One may ask, “How did modern-day slavery begin?” Richmond responds, “Human trafficking is not a naturally occurring phenomenon. It is a choice” (2). Enslaving and taking advantage of people is a conscious decision made by traffickers. Human trafficking is not an unstoppable force of nature, it is an action made by criminals. The United States has a long and complicated history with human trafficking, but by tracing the issue to the root cause – traffickers – there is hope that slavery can actually become a thing of the past.

Jeffery Epstein, one of the most infamous sex traffickers in the United States, was suspected of prostituting young girls and paying them to recruit more victims. The Economist reports that in 2005, Epstein was accused by the parents of a 14-year-old girl of raping their daughter (1). Inspired by this accusation, dozens of other young girls came forward, accusing Epstein of sexually assaulting them. Ultimately, Jeffrey Epstein was only charged for one count of soliciting a minor for prostitution and one count of procuring a minor for prostitution. U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta mishandled the sex crime prosecution, giving Epstein a measly 18-month sentence in prison (“Acosted” 1). Acosta signed off on this secret plea bargain while deliberately not informing Epstein’s victims. Epstein’s attorneys mislead the victims to believe that federal prosecution was still a possibility and effectively buried dozens of sexual-abuse claims. On the other hand, New York passed a new act called the Child Victims Act, which allows victims of sex abuse a one-year time period to sue their abusers, regardless of when the crimes occurred (Siemaszko). This substantial act allows victims of Jeffrey Epstein to claim his assets and receive some monetary compensation for the struggles they endured. Although Epstein died in 2019, his crimes continue to be exposed and his estate scattered. This trafficking case demonstrates how government facilities can fail to bring proper justice to trafficking victims, requiring frequent reforms to be made to improve the United States’ justice system.

The scandal of the San Joaquin County farm became the largest farming forced labor suit. The Berkley Journal of International Law reports that in 2010, over four hundred Thai men were recruited to work on asparagus farms and forced to work long hours for little pay (47). The Thai males were sent to eight farms in Hawaii and Washington where they lived in overcrowded, rodent infested houses. The men were not allowed to leave the farm and were trapped by their employers and threatened with deportation and physical beatings. The Berkley Journal goes on to write that the EEOC filed a lawsuit against the U.S. District Court of Hawaii and the Eastern District of Washington (47). The EEOC claims the mistreatment of the Thai workers violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The EEOC worked to bring justice to the abused workers by demanding back pay, compensation, and the development of reforms that would stop similar abuses from occurring. The district director of the EEOC’s Los Angeles District Office, Olophius Perry, is quoted, “Foreign workers should be treated as equals when working in the U.S., not as second-class citizens. All workers – foreign and U.S. – are protected under the law and have the right to complain of such employment abuses which poison the moral fabric of our society” (EEOC). In 2010, California Rural Legal Assistance could not locate the farm labor contractor, so the nonprofit organization attempted to sue the grower for the workers’ back pay (EEOC). However, charges against the grower were dropped in 2012. This instance of labor trafficking demonstrates how the United States makes efforts to monitor and eliminate the trafficking of foreign people in the U.S. Yet still, it proves difficult to break up human trafficking rings since the majority of cases are dropped, mishandled, or overlooked.

Not only do sex trafficking victims face unfair trials, they can also be subjected to criminalization for their actions while imprisoned. Cyntoia Brown was only 16 years old when she was forced into sex trafficking by a man who called himself “Kut-Throat” (Haider). Cyntoia was prostituted to a man named Johnny Allen and shot him in his sleep because she feared he would kill her. In 2006, she was tried as an adult and charged with first degree murder and robbery of her captor. In November of 2017, Brown’s case gained recognition in the media from celebrities such as Rihanna, LeBron James, and Kim Kardashian expressing support for her case (Haider). By March of 2018, she was granted a parole hearing. She had plenty of people testify of her character, including prison workers, nonprofit founders, detectives, and even her former prosecutor, but it would take about another year for Cyntoia to walk free. On January 7, 2019, after serving 15 years of her life sentence, Cyntoia was freed from prison with the support of Tennessee governor Bill Haslam and the nonprofit organization End Slavery Tennessee (Callahan). Brown used her experiences of being trafficked and imprisoned to create her own nonprofit organization called the Foundation for Justice, Freedom, and Mercy. She hopes to make reforms in how the United States approaches jail sentences and the distribution of justice. Cyntoia Brown’s story shows the need for victim protection acts in the United States to ensure that trafficked people receive the treatment and services they need.

CURRENT STATUS

Human trafficking is still present in 2020, and the status of the issue is gravely concerning. The number of global trafficking cases reported has steadily increased since 2010, with America experiencing over 70% of victims detected being trafficked for sexual exploitation (UNODC). The issue of human trafficking has only increased since it was first identified and given a name. The criminal industry is expanding, forcing more people into being exploited for a profit. The social implications of the rise in trafficking are evident, Harvard-educated doctors Neha and Nour claim, “Victims of sex trafficking acquire adverse physical and psychological health conditions and social disadvantages” (26). Victims of human trafficking are stripped of their personal freedoms and liberties, leaving them with many setbacks in life. Since the rate of human trafficking shows no signs of slowing, the amount and severity of trafficking incidents is only projected to increase. Unfortunately, human trafficking is flourishing in 2020, both in the United States and foreign countries.

One major development in recent news is President Donald Trump’s involvement in ending human trafficking. In January 2020, President Trump is making strides in combating trafficking by creating a new White House position dedicated to overseeing human trafficking issues. He declares his administration “100 percent committed to eradicating human trafficking from the earth” (“The Associated Press”). In addition to the new White House position, Trump has also approved new acts such as the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act and created a task force designed to control traffickers. These efforts show that President Trump recognizes the trafficking crisis in the United States and the need for updated laws and procedures to control the growing crime rates. Trump’s executive order also “expands prevention education programs, promotes housing opportunities for survivors and prioritizes the removal of child sexual abuse material from the internet” (“The Associated Press”). This is affecting society by educating the public about trafficking and providing much needed services to trafficking survivors. In addition, Trump is trying to ericaite the child pornography industry which would in turn put many traffickers out of business. Not only is the new executive order creating new ways to fight against human trafficking, it also increased the budget for investigations of potential trafficking situations and the prosecution of traffickers by $4 million (Contrera). In addition, Trump is expected to propose an additional $42 million budget increase to expand the support the government has to offer to trafficking victims. This increase in federal resources will allow the government to better regulate illicit trafficking activity happening in the country. President Trump’s new executive orders have paved the way for a future for America where human trafficking is a thing of the past.

DIFFERING VIEWPOINTS

One prominent group advocating for the prevention of sex trafficking is Shared Hope International. This nonprofit, non-governmental organization works to bring justice to sex trafficking victims using their three-step process – prevent, restore, and bring justice (“Shared Hope International”). SHI first approaches the issue of trafficking by trying to prevent the situations that could lead to sex trafficking by training and educating the public. They then focus on restoring trafficking survivors by funding community shelters that care for victims, and finally they work to bring justice by supporting legislation that advocates for victims’ rights. The SHI has provided aid in the U.S., Jamaica, and India to help create more housing opportunities for victims of sex trafficking (“Shared Hope International”). On top of that, they provided one of the first shelters specifically for young boys who escaped the sex trafficking industry. The SHI also united with shelters around the world to offer healthcare, schooling, and job training. Linda Smith, former U.S. Congresswoman and founder of Shared Hope International, personally addressed how her organization cares for trafficking victims: “SHI offers paths to freedom, which sometimes includes paying off their debits. We provide places for them to flee to, which is why they’ll come out of the brothel” (Struck 33). Smith is able to rally donations and public support for her organization by speaking out at conventions such as the 2019 JuST (Juvenile Sex Trafficking) conference. At these events, she also trains attendees on how to prevent sex trafficking and stay safe on the internet. Shared Hope International is working hard to provide care to victims of sexual exploitation and is powerfully guiding the worldwide effort to end sex trafficking.

Polaris is a very influential nonprofit, non-governmental organization dedicated to fighting modern day slavery. Polaris’ goals are to help victims through their national human trafficking hotline, collect and interpret data about trafficking, and use their knowledge to develop strategies to prevent and control human trafficking (“Polaris”). Their national hotline provides constant support for trafficking survivors, allowing them to get the help they need through text, email, phone call, or webchat. This organization breaks down the systems in North America that make slavery profitable. Such systems include industries that force immigrant farmers to work in unfair conditions and websites that give sex traffickers a place to distribute and sell pornography. This nonprofit organization has also responded to human trafficking by creating an online Referral Directory (“Polaris”). This service is important because it helps survivors find resources to aid their long-term recovery. Additionally, Polaris also advocates for the development of laws against sex and labor trafficking and collaborates with financial specialists to create devices that can be used to expose money laundering of traffickers (“Polaris”). Polaris is diligently fighting modern day slavery through a powerful combination of prosecuting traffickers and protecting survivors.

Shared Hope International and Polaris are both prominent organizations, but their levels of success are varying, and there is even more that could be done to help solve the issue of human trafficking. Shared Hope International is a worldwide organization, compared to Polaris which is only nationwide. Both organizations are extremely successful and provide many great resources for human trafficking survivors, but Polaris offers more from their program. In addition to providing direct support for survivors, Polaris also works closely with law enforcement by providing data from their national hotline that reveals information about current trends in human trafficking. This allows for an extra preventative measure against trafficking. Another big advantage of Polaris is that it focuses on eradicating all forms of slavery, whereas Shared Hope International focuses solely on sex trafficking. For these reasons, Polaris is a slightly more successful nonprofit organization. However, these organizations do not cover every area of preventing human trafficking. There is a big need for Americans to stop unintentionally supporting forced labor. The U.S. Department of Labor reports that Americans are using goods produced by child labor or forced labor (Rigby et al. 20). This source claims that popular American shoe brands, including Nike and Adidas, are often produced by Asian child labor industries. In order for America to completely eradicate human trafficking from the country, it must first stop inadvertently financing slave labor. This change can be made by purchasing products from companies that do not engage in any type of forced labor. To ensure that only slave-free goods are being purchased, it is important to “shop with businesses that are transparent, examine their supply chains and buy fair trade or locally-sourced products” (“Buy Slave Free”). Nonprofit organizations are paving a way for a future without human trafficking, but it is important to continue developing innovative ideas that can further expedite the process.

REFLECTION

Human trafficking has been an issue since the beginning of societies, and no one can tell if or when it will cease to exist. This problem can only be resolved if the demand for slavery ends, “Human trafficking is the only industry in which the supply and demand are the same thing: human beings. People demanding the sale of people” (“What Fuels Human Trafficking?”). As of January of 2020, the amount of human trafficking cases is continuing to increase (UNODC), and if some dramatic changes do not take place, human trafficking rates will likely continue to rise. It is vital to find a way to control this problem before it gets any worse. Millions of lives are at risk. Victim’s qualities of life are reduced to nothing, and their rights are stripped away from them. Additionally, human trafficking poses a health concern to both survivors and the general public with the spread of STDs and tuberculosis. The majority of people in the American society detest human trafficking. Traffickers only make up a small fragment of the population yet are able to powerfully impact our society. If society unites against human trafficking, many victims can be saved. This movement starts with an individual effort.

Through the experience of writing this essay, I have read many stories from trafficking survivors. I discovered that human trafficking is a very present issue, it is more common than I had ever imagined. In order to be an advocate for survivors and support the cause against human trafficking, we must continue to stay informed on updates of this issue. Through educating ourselves and making ourselves available to local non-profit organizations, we can provide much-needed support for victims. To make a difference in this global issue, we need to learn the signs of human trafficking, report suspicious activity to trafficking hotlines, and be aware of which companies use forced labor. With the combined support of the government and the community, we can finally truly abolished slavery in the United States.

In the book ‘Sex Trafficking Inside the Business of Modern Slavery’ there are a lot of breakdowns and concepts explaining what sex trafficking and other trafficking are and what comes along with posing some ethical issues and problems dealing with trafficking. In the opening of the book, there is a nineteen-year-old girl by the name of Maya Gaunt who was a sex slave four years in two main red-light districts, Kamathipura and Falkland Road. Maya was born in the Sindhupalchok region of Nepal, which is one of the poorest stretched lands in the entire world. Maya parents were desperate to make ends meet, so her parents decided to sell her to a local agent for $55, The agent promised the parents that their daughter would have a job working at a carpet factory, from which she could send $10-month home to help her parents out.

The night Maya left home the agent her parents sold her to, resold her to a Dalal known as a trafficker who took her to Butwal, a town sharing a border with India. Maya then ended up in Mumbai which she and another girl were sold to a Malik known as a brother boss in Kamathipura. Upon the brother’s boss buying Maya he told her that she owes him thirty-five thousand rupees which in Mumbai is $780. Maya had to have sex with any gentleman who she met and if she refused, her brother boss men would then rape here along with not providing her with food or water until she agreed to follow the rules. Maya would have to sell herself to twenty men a day. One day Maya decided they she wanted to escape, and she did, finding a police station to complain and they did nothing to help at all. Following a second time, she tried to escape being that she was very ill but finding the strength to get away she then found a shelter that took her in, and they informed her she had HIV.

The shelter helped Maya contact her father, but he wrote her off telling her not to come home because she would bring shame to the family and it was no way she could ever get married having HIV. If Maya had not escaped, the continuing of slavery would’ve never ended. The amount of magnitude that young women and children like Maya that are raped for profit are beyond a disgrace, and for trafficking of any kind whether it’s sex trafficking, slavery, slave trading or organ harvesting. When it comes to defining sex trafficking or any kind of trafficking, there is a lot of confusion on whether the definition of trafficking is the process of recruitment, transportation, and transfer which includes exploitation utilizing lies, violence, rape, threats, coercion, debt payouts, and even deception. Policymakers are still debating on what the term trafficking means.

The United Nations Trafficking Protocol of 2000 decided to accept the definition of trafficking as the recruitment, transfer, harboring, transportation or receipt of an individual utilizing a threat with the use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception of the abuse of power or benefiting to achieve the consent of a person having any control over another person for exploitation. Which exploitation includes at minimum prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labored services, slavery or practices like slavery, servitude or the removal of organs. Sex trafficking violates every aspect of human rights and ethical beliefs.

Sex trafficking is one of the most known forms of trafficking a human being. Around 800,000 people are taken from around the world due to trafficking, 80% are women and half of that percentage are minors. Many laws and programs against trafficking focus more on the movement rather than the exploitation because of the wording content portion of the trafficking chain. However, after reading the book trafficking is not about movement, it’s more about dealing with slavery. There was a slave trade during the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries that involved the trafficking of eleven million Africans across thousands of miles across the transatlantic to work as slaves on many plantations. Most of the focus is put on movement across the border than shutting down the slave plantations to which all those slaves are being moved. The modes of transportation come in numerous ways whether it’s moving them by ships, vehicles, planes, trains and even on foot.

The cost of transport is very small and the source with slave labor is very slim to none. All sex-trafficking crimes have two components, slave trading which is the supply side of trafficking and slavery represents the demand side of trafficking. Slave trading can be defined as the process of recruiting, harboring, receiving, acquiring or moving anyone through and for any distance, into a condition of slavery or something exactly like exploitation. While slavery is defined as coercing labor or other services after taking an individual including the exploitation of a person’s body or body parts. Sex slaves occur in five different ways. First, deceit which entails the false offer of a job, travel, or other income opportunities to look for slaves. In many countries’ marriage is the only way a woman can secure social acceptance, basic rights, and even false marriage offers. False promises of marriage to a wealthy man would often lead to the trafficking of thousands of females each year. In the book there was a former sex slave name Pira, she was married, and her husband sold her to slave traders who shipped her to another country, and she was sold to an owner of a sex club. Pira was forced to have sex with hundreds of before she was able to escape. In the trafficking ring after young girls are sold to an owner, their parents are sent a sum of money with letters attached from their daughters, providing information that they’re happy and enjoying their marriage. When dealing with deceit the most effective location for recruiting slaves would be in refugee camps.

Across the world, 32.9 million individuals are misplaced due to genocide, civil wars, world disasters or any other major crisis. Right now, 9.9 million of these people are in refugee camps, 72% belonging to women and children. The condition of the camps was horrible. They were crowded, filthy, and depressing. The individuals in the camp weren’t allowed to leave nor look for employment and at this point, they felt they were stuck and had no other options. Second, sale by a family which wasn’t always an easy decision for a family to make when selling their child into slavery. These were the same conditions of families who were living in poverty, desperate and displaced. Slaves traders could sniff out the most desperate individuals and address families with job offers they couldn’t turn down, in exchange for their children. A young woman by the name of Bridgitte, who was pressured into staying being a sex slave for many years because of money that was being sent to her parents. Bridgitte said, “We are just like slot machines to our families.” To know that parents would sell their child just for money or for greed is beyond me and it’s sickening. But, believe it or not, this is still going on in the world today but there isn’t much talk about it because the government isn’t looking at it as an important issue. Third, abduction which is not as frequent as the media wants us to believe.

Not only are abducted victims naturally unwilling to travel, but the slave would also try to escape at any opportunity. Many might think this doesn’t happen, but it does we just don’t hear much about it. The book also mentions a young woman name Ines from a town in Albania. She was abducted by three men in broad daylight and exploited in many clubs and brothels. Fourth, seduction or romance which focuses on victims being forced into prostitution. Which the women are told someone would fall in love with them if they were to do the things they were forced to do. The agents the young women are assigned to are offered undying love, given extravagant gifts and even tricking them into moving to another country where they could build a family together. A prime example of seduction is the Carreto family from Mexico who spent many years trapping women, marrying them along with fathering kids with the slave before sending them to other homes based in Queens, New York, where they then were forced into sexual slavery. Fifth, recruitment by former slaves, which is the process of sex traffickers picking out the young women they feel would be a great candidate. In this process, the young women are recruited through rituals that bind them with an obligation to repay any debts after being transported to another country. Failure to meet these requirements will result in some deep trouble, as in harming a loved one of the slaves.

Sex trafficking comes in many other forms that today’s society has no clue about because we aren’t educated as citizens to know about it or it isn’t brought into awareness. Many might wonder why sex trafficking isn’t talked about much and why it continues to thrive more and more every day. After reading the book, my theory is that there is major confusion on what trafficking is which allows more focus on the movement rather than the exploitation of trafficking. Sex slaves are moved from country to country until they are transit into a destination country. Many victims are transported by boat, cars, buses, trains and even ferry. Bribes are then paid to border patrol and false passports are being used to transport these victims all around the world. When victims find out that the job offer, they have been given or the promise of a false hopeless love affair isn’t going to happen, then they are then drugged or beaten until the transportation process is done. That also makes it difficult to get help because when a young woman escapes from her agent and goes to the law enforcement for help and she isn’t given any, it shows just how much corruption is with the judicial system and why it’s so easy for trafficking to linger off the radar as it has done for many years. There is no protection for victims even when they know who did this to them and is willing to give their testimony but is afraid to testify because they aren’t given any protection from the government. Law enforcement corruption and investigating sex trafficking crimes are at an all-time low because countries have created some sort of alliance with other countries to create a police unit that has a part in the sex trafficking process.

Many police units are told not to conduct investigations or raids on anything dealing with sex slaves, sex trafficking or even slaves who have escaped. This made it hard for victims to file a complaint or even testify against their exploiters was because none of their complaints went as far as the officer took in the complaint. The absence of political power to enforce the law along with corruption, allows slavery and sex trafficking to take place in broad daylight. The so-called laws that are put in place for sex traffickers have little to no effect on them what so ever. The ethical issues play an important role in the fight when it comes to trafficking. Everyone must do their part from stopping sex trafficking from happening, by doing what they know is the right thing. Whether it’s having a zero-tolerance policy with international governments, implementing certain codes of conduct that must be followed or having government regulations. These young women are faced with many health obstacles, being that they are having sex with multiple men a day and when it comes to making decisions dealing with the health of the public, there is no ethical way to address the society’s perspective of public health problems. Being that unsafe sexual interaction is happening which increases the chance of that young girl having any kind of disease that’s out here in the world, miscarriages, unplanned pregnancies and even their private area being affected.

Following that the mental mindset they are now put through, dealing with depression, anxiety, and even post-traumatic stress. This shows that there is a wide range of challenges in dealing with sex trafficking. It’s happening in our backyard; yes, human trafficking has been documented in many parts of the United States. It has been seen in San Diego, Chicago, Dallas, Seattle, Atlanta, San Jose, Miami, Boston, Washington, DC, and even Philadelphia. This was research shown back in 2006, and I’m sure it has spreader even further in other cities and states. I can say it has even made its way to Mississippi, because lately we have had a few incidents that have happened, but no one is aware of them because the news doesn’t tell us or for no one of that matter unless you go and do the research yourself. North America has a percentage of 0.9% of sex trafficking victims. Sex trafficking has four components: the victim who is the product, the trafficker who is the wholesaler, the slave owner who is the retailer and the consumer who are the individuals who’re paying for the girls. Here it is almost a hundred and fifty years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed and in the United States, there are still many slaves.

As Americans, we seem to sweep things like this that are very serious under the rug, until it happens to us or someone close to us. This book has opened my eyes a lot to many things I wasn’t aware of. Many individuals see things sometimes and don’t even say anything because they fear something might happen to them but what they don’t know is, they could be the one who saves a person life or even start the trail of others wanting to speak up. Only we as the people can break this horrific chain of events, it starts with us. The two things that stood out to me that needs the biggest change is what the parents do to their children just for a little money to go into their pockets. I could only imagine how that child felt going into that kind of situation and knowing that the individuals that are supposed to protect you, put you there. Secondly, is the corrupt police officers and even higher commanders being officiated with such a thing as sex trafficking that ruins many people’s lives. To know that many girls come to them for help and to find out that the government in some aspect is playing apart in this terrible situation.

Sex trafficking has grown throughout the years and is continuing to grow even larger. No one should ever be held against their will to be sold, beaten, sexually assaulted, drugged or killed. We all should have the choice to do whatever it is we want to in this life and not forced into it. As I explained it starts with us speaking up and becoming aware and educated on sex trafficking.

Human trafficking may sound like a word that is foreign to the typical modern mind, but when we dig a little deeper, we will uncover some very unsettling things about what happens underneath our noses every single day. Living human beings are being captured, transported (trafficked) and exploited against their wills. This may sound like the slave trade that had happen in pre-modern times but in reality, such a phenomenon happens even today. Addressing this welfare issue is of paramount importance, especially today when a universal list of human rights exists that belong to all people.

Based on the Palermo Protocol 2000, there are three components (or elements) that helps us characterise all instances of human trafficking cases: the act, the means and the purpose. Acts would include recruiting (the initial procurement of a person), transporting (moving a person from one place to another), transferring (the passing of a person from one perpetrator to another), harbouring (keeping a person in hostage/captive) or receiving a victim.

The means refer to the way the criminal causes the trafficking to take place, i.e. the methods they use to gain control of the person. This is not merely limited to abductions, where no consent from the victim was obtained. It also extends to cases where consent was obtained by means of deception, coercion or abuse of power/vulnerability – this is referred to as the negation of consent (Drew, 2009) The purpose would be the end to which the traffickers will lead/force the victims into. It is essentially the way traffickers choose to exploit the person(s), that will bring some sort of benefit or advantage to themselves.

Hence, a criminal who abducts a person to be recruited into forced labour would be guilty of human trafficking. Actions like this affect a deny a person’s right to freedom from slavery which usually leads to torture and inhumane treatment. Related to trafficking is the concept of human smuggling. It should be noted that the criminal act is referred to as smuggling is if the displaced person has given his/her consent, intending for themselves to be transferred across a border illegally. (Drew, 2009)

While the actual figures remain a mystery, a Global Report on Trafficking in Persons was released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in 2018. It includes a detailed analysis of detected human trafficking cases in the years 2014 – 2017, while incorporating data trends that go back till 2007. According to the cross-sectional examination of data from 2016 which included a total of 24,000 detected cases, the findings show that sexual exploitation (59%) and forced labour (34%) are the two major forms(or purposes) of exploitations in trafficking. The remaining 7% include organ harvesting, forced marriages, exploitative begging, forced criminal activity, production of pornography, the use of children as child soldiers, and the trafficking of pregnant women for selling their babies. (UNODC, 2018)

The UNDOC report also notes numerous flows of trafficking, most of which occur within the bounds of a particular region (East Asia and the Pacific, North and Central America etc.). Intraregional flows would include displacements within the same country (58%), and subregions (Western Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa etc.) (28%). Less than 10% of cases involve the transregional moving of individuals. This can mean one of two things: (i) most human trafficking efforts are operated by a country’s local crime organisation and hence countries should double their efforts on cracking them down. (ii) many transnational and transregional crime have not been detected by the authorities and thus countries and intergovernmental agencies need to foster bilateral efforts to tackle human trafficking.

A crime as complex as this is rarely the work of a single person. Most human trafficking cases involve three or more people, making them fall under the classification of organised crime. This is especially true for cases that involve organ harvesting. Elaborate international networks are in place to facilitate the organ trade, linking supposedly “lawful” medical organisations like hospitals with criminal groups, usually through an ‘international coordinator/broker’. (Bos, 2015) By abducting a person and stealing their organs, these criminal entities obtain lucrative profits off the black market. Across the age board, statistics show that male victims tend to be exploited for forced labour while female victims are typically exploited sexually, many of which were subject to forced prostitution.

Since the trafficking of persons for sexual exploitation, or sexual trafficking, makes up the lion’s share among the many ways victims suffer, this essay shall focus a little bit more on it. Indeed, it can be argued that it is the most degrading way victims suffer since forced prostitution ruins the lives of its sufferers. Even beyond a successful return to their homes and communities, rehabilitation proves to be difficult, even with the assistance of social workers. A study in Albania showed how there are plenty of women victims who ‘have little hope for a good life’ back home. Wearing the label of a former prostitute, their prospects for marriage are low. Those who are too embarrassed to return would never reunite with their families, while many among those who did either committed suicide or were reportedly murdered by their family members for being dishonourable. Risk of AIDS and other STDs (Sexually-Transmitted Diseases) was also present due to unprotected sex. (van Hook et al, 2006)

In terms of psychological and mental harm, victims are shown to have a higher chance of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and depression. It was not uncommon to find those with a combination of ‘PTSD + anxiety + depression’. (Hossain et al, 2010) This would have a drastic effect on any investigative efforts to bring the traffickers to justice since memory loss and memory inconsistencies is prevalent among PTSD patients. Another aspect worth noting is their living in constant fear of retribution by their former perpetrators. This fear is not unfounded, since by sharing their account of exploitation to investigators and care workers, it may lead to exposing important evidence that might lead to the conviction of the traffickers (Zimmerman & Pocock, 2013)

A region that happens to be a hotbed for human trafficking is Southeast Asia. There is an intergovernmental organisation in place that facilitates social, economic and political cooperation between countries in the region commonly referred to as ASEAN (the Association of South-East Asian Nations). Unlike the EU and the Council of Europe, ASEAN does not bear any form of delegated powers. N.M. Klynn notes that while their mode of informal cooperation by consensus rather than mandate has done well in bringing nations from a history of animosity into peaceful relations, the tackling of transnational issues through policy has been relatively slow-paced. (Klynn, 2012)

This unique character of ASEAN has definitely manifested itself in the way it has been dealing with human trafficking. The first instance of a response being made by ASEAN against this issue was under the ASEAN Declaration on Transnational Crime 1997. It was a pledge that provided a decent legislative framework. Member states adopted measures to improve the cooperation between the police and customs, while fostering regional coordination.

The Manila Declaration on the Prevention and Control of Transnational Crime 1998 went slightly further to call for a crack-down on organised crime, stating human trafficking as an example which led to the exploitation of women and children. It specified actions like ‘extradition, mutual assistance, witness protection, transfer of prisoners, and the seizure and forfeiture of the proceeds of crime’ as examples of possible joint-efforts.

Together with NGOs and other Asian countries, ASEAN formulated the Asian Regional Initiative Against Trafficking in Women and Children (ARIAT) in 2000. It was ahead of its time, a workshop for creating a programme for victim-centred interventions that included providing ‘appropriate housing, economic, medical and psychological assistance… [and] physical safety assurance.’ Unfortunately, due to its non-binding nature, there was a lack on follow-ups. The programme stopped, but another declaration, the ASEAN Declaration Against Trafficking in Persons Particularly Women and Children 2004 called for member-states to provide appropriate welfare assistances to victims as they deemed fit. (Cheah, 2006) Poverty and wealth disparities were also identified then as a major contributor to human trafficking within the region based on the apparent movement of victims from marginalised communities to more affluent places.

As a confederation that emphasises on preserving their foundational principles of non-interference and state sovereignty, ASEAN’s influence on policy is limited to the willingness of member-states to conform to agreements. Hence ASEAN has adopted an alternative strategy to tackle human trafficking. In recent years, they have run initiatives to increase awareness, especially among children. The most recent one being a youth video competition against trafficking (ASEAN Against Trafficking: Humans are not for Sale) in 2018. They have also held a plethora of workshops, especially in countries with high counts of victim recruitment and victim exploitation. These would include training workshops for the purpose equipping social workers, NGOs and government servants with IT skills to share a pool of victim data , methods of identifying and meeting the needs of victims, and assist human trafficking prevention; criminal justice workshops for legal workers on how to provide adequate and effective help to victims; strategic workshops for enforcement personnel to discuss, exchange and cooperate on border control efforts.

Anti-Slavery International (ASI), formerly known as the British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society (BFASS), is an International NGO that has been around for more than 180 years. In fact, it is the first human rights organisation to come into existence, which was formed to end the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. As an NGO who has been there since the beginning, they have surely amassed a vast amount of experience dealing with institutions that had been entrenched with slavery.

ASI did more than just advocating for ‘slave free alternatives’ on sugar and playing a part in establishing the Brussels Acts (the first in-depth treaty against slavery). Some of the ways they made themselves relevant even in the 20th Century would include campaigning against King Leopold II’s grip on slavery in the Congo Free State, assisting efforts to end ‘coolie’ system of indentured labour in the former British colonies, and put a stop to Peruvian Amazon Company’s activities, of which they exploited the natives as slave labourers in their rubber plantations. (Heartfield, 2016)

Ever since the establishment of the League of Nations, which eventually became the United Nations, ASI has focused its efforts in influencing policy by identifying regions and countries that face human trafficking issues, as well as call out governmental and intergovernmental organisations for their inaction. Lobbying was commonplace in their efforts to push for the recognition of human trafficking as a modern form of slavery, help organisation in defining the crime and hence efforts to eradicate such inhumane practices. Their successes are simply applaudable, especially with regards to seeing legislation being updated to combat trafficking in the Global South (Nepal, Niger, Mauritania, Kuwait, Qatar etc.)

ASI runs multiple on-the-ground intervention programmes in a number of locations. They are structured based on one, or a mix, among three different methods: enablement, support and empowerment. ASI runs initiatives that enable victims to exit their exploitative environments, provides legal, material and psychological assistance for rehabilitation, while also empowering communities to shielded from human trafficking, usually by providing access to education. Mauritania happens to be one of the sites where they partner with local groups to assist former victims in starting new lives by providing shelter and vocational training, whilst filing court cases to ensure that the perpetrators do not return for retribution. It should be noted that ASI focuses their efforts on trafficking cases that involve children and/or forced labour. This leaves victims of sexual trafficking somewhat neglected by their efforts. (Anti-Slavery International, n.d.)

Human trafficking creates welfare problems for the both its victims and their communities and are serious cases of human rights violation. At the same time, it should not be isolated from other welfare issues since poverty, wealth disparities and a lack of education are key contributors to this global problem. Since it usually involves organised crime, organisations and governments need to employ more multi-disciplinary, transnational concerted efforts to crack down on this crime.

Human trafficking is one of the most severe forms of human rights violation against men, women, and children. It is a market fueled by supply and demand forces. Poverty, corruption, and illiteracy are all baits for trafficking. Forced labor, commercial sexual exploitation, and domestic servitude are the main reasons for the annual trafficking of millions of people worldwide. Asian nations especially India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan have high levels of poverty that traffickers use to lure desperate citizens. Pedophilia is another complex issue increasingly making headlines on news desks and deserves attention to help solve the child sex trafficking menace. Parents are also enablers of the trade, falling prey to money allures and selling their children for profit. Child sex trafficking is a growing vice promoted by profit incentives, especially from male sex buyers.

Watching the Bacha Bazi boys of Pakistan was a revelation on how the trade works and its effect on the victims. The people behind the trafficking have powerful links to senior government officials and for them selling young boys for sexual exploitation is just a typical day at work. Some of the boys are not even teenagers, and they give tales of how their masters abuse them and harm them if they do not follow orders. Human rights abuse is nigh in the trade where some boys end up dead, and others disappear without a trace. One thing is for sure though; it is all about the money! Pimps in Pakistan also buy smuggled girls from Bangladesh, Burma, and other Asian regions. The issue requires regional collaboration to solve, but since the states do not have mutual relations, the organized business continues to thrive.

Child trafficking seems to affect war-torn countries such as Syria and Afghanistan. Sexual exploitation in these nations is a complex affair due to religious backgrounds, cultural traditions and government obligations to international treaties. Every child has a right to lead a normal life, but trafficking threatens this right. Afghan boys are also victims of the trade falling for the usual promises of work, education and a home. Pimps dangle these promises in front of their eyes, only to crush their bright hopes and replace them with fear and hopelessness. War-torn nations like Afghanistan are a market for male child trafficking especially for extremist groups who want to acquire child soldiers. The boy child is at a higher risk than the girl child due to their higher demand for more roles.

Different governmental bodies and activist organizations seem to be at an impasse on whether pedophilia is a crime or a mental disorder. Sexual attraction to pre-pubertal children is a sensitive matter that came into the limelight and one that continuously reinvigorates the child trafficking debate. Child sex trafficking is a business propelled by pedophiles who do not want exposure due to the current societal norms. However, pimps coerce these children and exploit them for huge profits. The video about the Bacha Bazi boys gives us a glimpse of the atrocities subjected to children by the trade. Nations have to protect their children since they are the future generation. Slavery is outdated, and all form of human trafficking is abuse to people’s rights. Governments and international bodies should team up to fight the trade through awareness and prosecution of perpetrators.