Human Trafficking

Introduction

This is the trade of human beings, with the aim of using them for forced labour, sexual slavery, and sexual exploitation. This may also include forcing a partner into forced marriage, or even being sold through kidnapping into another country. In addition, the removal of organs or tissues which may include ova removal or even surrogate motherhood may also be the reason for human trafficking. It can therefore take place either in a country, or even between different countries. This type of trafficking is a crime, as it goes against the victim’s rights of movement through oppression and also due to viable misuse. Human trafficking is therefore the trade of human beings, particularly women and children, but it does not necessarily encompass movement of people from one region to another. This paper will analyse the growing problem of human trafficking, and the law enforcement community which is involved in the prevention of this issue.      

Growing Problem of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking has become a significant issue in the world, as it continues growing. It is estimated there are a total 21.3 million refuges all over the world, similarly, there also about 40.3 million people all over the world who are being trafficked or being enslaved (Murthy & Smith, 2010). In the UK, and in the U.S, most people are enslaved, without either knowing it, or without the public’s awareness (De, 2016). Most people in these countries are being enslaved without the general knowledge of the public, be it sex trafficking, and labour trafficking, the number is very huge and it keeps on growing, however it is done secretly thus preventing the public from understanding if there is anything of that sought happening.

Among the vulnerable victims of human trafficking in the world are women, and children, due to their inability to protect themselves (Aronowitz, 2009). It is estimated that over 4 million women and young ladies are being trafficked. On the other hand, men also fall victim of these incidences, nonetheless, they are not as vulnerable as compared to women and girls, but their demand for human trafficking is very high. It is estimated over 9.5 million men and boys are trafficked for the provision if cheap labour, or the distribution of illegal drugs in different parts of the world (Murthy & Smith, 2010).

There are several factors which promote human trafficking, which includes the following:

Natural Calamities, War, Famine and the Search for a better Future. 

Traffickers look for people who are vulnerable to pressure into the human trafficking trade. Migrants, are majorly vulnerable, due to the loss of land, property, or even the loss of family members, making it easier for them to be easily traded (Aronowitz, 2009). In addition, countries which have poor economic conditions or political instability, are trafficking spots for human traffickers, since most people in such countries are easy to convince. Most of the people are usually promised of a better life by the traffickers, who present themselves as well wishers. The victims are then lured into signing enslavement contracts without their knowledge, making it legitimate for the traffickers to easily transport the victims into other countries. For instance, in African countries, victims are usually promised good jobs in Middle East countries, where they are then trafficked immediately after landing in the Middle East (Murthy & Smith, 2010).

Women and Children Targets   

In some societies, women and children are usually devalued a factor which makes them more vulnerable to trafficking as compared to men (De, 2016). Traditional culture and practices, early marriages and the lack of formal birth registration puts women and children at a very high risk of being trafficked. Similarly, women are also targeted due to the high demand of for women in the sex trafficking industries. A recent report suggests that nearly 20.9 million children and adults are purchased and sold all over the world for commercial sexual slavery, forced labour and sexual exploitation (Murthy & Smith, 2010). The majority of those trafficked for sexual exploitation are women and girls who make up 98% of sexual trafficking victims.

Demand for Inexpensive Labour

Service industries which include restaurants, are the conjoint exploiters of human trafficking. These industries require young beautiful women who can be responsible for attracting most male customers to the restaurants for low pay (Murthy & Smith, 2010). In these cases, employees are mostly promised of a better pay, where they are then exploited immediately after they signing working contracts with the restaurants (Aronowitz, 2009). Business owners are usually impressed with type of acts, as it allows them to earn huge profits, thus being able to grow their businesses. Victims cannot therefore do anything else but to obey, since they cannot protect themselves from the traffickers who are very powerful, a factor which makes victims to obey and each and everything they are asked to do by their masters (De, 2016). 

Human Trafficking business is very productive

Human trafficking business generates more than $150 billion annually (Murthy & Smith, 2010). Two thirds of this money is made from commercial sexual exploitation, while the remaining is made from economic exploitation which may include domestic jobs and agricultural jobs. This trade is therefore the fastest growing trade all over the world, and also the second largest industry all over the world (Aronowitz, 2009). Human trafficking is also linked with drug trafficking, where the victims are usually used for the transportation of drugs into different areas, since they may not be easily suspected, and in case of being suspected, then they can be killed a factor which would not affect the continuation of the drug trafficking (De, 2016). The huge demand of people for drug transportation and peddling is therefore what makes it easier for the human trafficking industry to grow at a very fast rate.

Human Trafficking Cases are not easy to Identify 

Identifying victims of human trafficking is not easy at all, since they are highly traumatized or well-hidden, a factor which makes it hard for them to be identified (Aronowitz, 2009). Even after being rescued, victims opt to remain silent about the issue, fearing for the safety of their lives. In addition, they may also be afraid of confronting the police about the matter, due to the fear of being killed or their families may also be targeted. Similarly, victims of human trafficking may also be in a country illegally, a factor which makes them criminals according to the law, hence they cannot seek help from the police because of the fear of being imprisoned (Murthy & Smith, 2010). This therefore allows the traffickers to easily gain control of the victims, making them to do each and everything according to their dictates. Finally, due to the collaboration between the police and the traffickers, it becomes impossible to identify human trafficking cases, because the police end up covering up such information, in order to protect the traffickers (De, 2016).          

Prevention of Human Trafficking

Different law enforcement agencies all over the world are working hand in hand to make sure they bring to an end the issue of human trafficking (Murthy & Smith, 2010). For instance, the United Nations Office on Crime and Drugs (UNODC), conducts research on countries all over the world affected by human trafficking, and then goes ahead to train the law enforcement agencies on how to combat these issues (Aronowitz, 2009). This training is aimed at enabling the law enforcement agencies to understand the methods which traffickers use when smuggling people into different countries across the borders, and ways of countering such issues. Similarly, UNODC also advocates for international cooperation, in order to fully deal with the issues once and for all (De, 2016).     

In the UK, the National Crime Agency (NCA) is tasked with the mandate of preventing human trafficking. Among the measures put in place to combat human trafficking in the country include, preventing human trafficking, protecting human trafficking victims, and prosecuting those found guilty of human trafficking (Murthy & Smith, 2010).

NCA prevents human trafficking through creating public awareness on the possible ways used by human traffickers (Aronowitz, 2009). In so doing, people become aware of how human traffickers behave, and the methods they use in order to trafficking people. In addition, the agency works closely with NGO’s which are looking forward to ending human trafficking in the country (Murthy & Smith, 2010). This agency in the year 2003, reported human trafficking in over 127 countries all over the world, however, some countries did not want to participate in dealing with the issue, as they showed no interest when it came to the matter (De, 2016).

In the US, the department of justice (DOJ) is tasked with the mandate of dealing with any criminal activities in the country. Among these criminal activities include human trafficking where it has different divisions necessary for dealing with human trafficking (Aronowitz, 2009). These divisions include the following: Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), which takes legal action against case involving child pornography, sex trafficking and sex tourism. The department of labour, Federal Bureau Investigation (FBI) and the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), work together in dealing with human trafficking in the US (Murthy & Smith, 2010).

NIJ is the overall financier of all the other divisions, which are responsible for combatting human trafficking. It therefore funds human trafficking research, thus making it easier for the country to understand where the main problem lies (Aronowitz, 2009). On the other hand, the FBI conducts investigations on any cases related to human trafficking, thus getting to the bottom of the matter, and understand and ensuring those responsible for human trafficking in the country are brought to book (De, 2016). Finally, the department of labour deals with issues associated to human trafficking for cheap labour, and child labour. This division works together with the FBI to make sure any cases related to human trafficking in the labour division are dealt with accordingly (Murthy & Smith, 2010).      

Conclusion

Human trafficking has become a critical issue, due to the rate at which the human trafficking industry is growing. As discussed in the paper, human traffickers majorly target women and children, since they are more vulnerable as compared to men. In addition, women are also on high demand for sexual exploitation. Different factors contribute to human trafficking, among them include war, natural calamities and the search for a better life, which makes most people to fall into the hands of the traffickers unknowingly. Finally, different departments and agencies all over the world are working together to deal with the issue of human trafficking in the world.  

Reference

Wylie, G., McRedmond, P., & Palgrave Connect (Online service). (2010). Human trafficking in Europe: Character, causes and consequences. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Murthy, P., & Smith, C. L. (2010). Women's global health and human rights. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Aronowitz, A. A. (2009). Human trafficking, human misery: The global trade in human beings. Westport, Conn: Praeger.

De, A. M. (2016). Human trafficking: Women's stories of agency.