Human Trafficking: An Inhumane Crime

Human trafficking refers to the recruitment, transfer, transportation, receipt, of harboring of people through threats if other forms of abduction, coercion, fraud, or deception of individuals. The practice may also involve the abuse of power of the receiving or issuance of benefits (such as money) to gain control of another person for exploitation purposes. The various forms of exploitation in human trafficking include slavery, forced labor, sexual exploitation, or other practices similar to servitude, as well as the forceful removal of body organs (US Department of Health and Human Services, and Dansby 3). Human trafficking poses a huge problem in today’s society as it leads to the cruel actions stated above. The US government has placed border control officials and established regulations to control human trafficking, but the crime continues to flourish. For this reason, members if the society including the government, and the public should be more vigilant in the prevention of this social evil. Thesis statement: Human trafficking is an inhumane act, which should be stopped at all costs.

Facts and Statistics

Human trafficking is the quickest growing crime in society and is equivalent to modern-day slavery (US Department of Health and Human Services, and Dansby 3). The crime occurs in all continents, including Asia, Africa, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, North America, and South America. Human trafficking strips individuals of their fundamental rights and freedoms as they are forced into doing things such as forced labor and prostitution. Those who are forced into labor cannot control their working conditions, yet every worker in the world has the right to protest against inhumane treatment. Human trafficking is also a health risk as the victims have limited or no access to medical services (US Department of Health and Human Services, and Dansby 4). Common methods of transportation are shipment containers (across seas) and trucks. People are usually squeezed together in small, unhygienic places, which increases the chances of acquiring infectious diseases. The lack of food and water during transportation also leads to malnutrition and dehydration.

Women and girls (80%) are the primary victims of human trafficking as they are lured with promises of better lives with well-paying jobs elsewhere (US Department of Health and Human Services, and Dansby 8). Half of the human trafficking victims are underage. Hence, trafficking denies children their basic rights. The primary sectors that use human trafficking labor in the US are sweatshop factories (5%), agriculture (10%), domestic service (27%), and prostitution (46%) (US Department of Health and Human Services, and Dansby 10).

The common forms of sex trafficking are escort services, Asian massage parlors, Latino Cantina bars, residential brothels, street prostitution, and exotic dancing bars (US Department of Health and Human Services, and Dansby 12).  Labor trafficking includes migrant farm work, construction, restaurants, domestic servitude, industrial cleaning, and begging/ peddling rings (US Department of Health and Human Services, and Dansby 13). The top US states for trafficking are California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, and New York (US Department of Health and Human Services, and Dansby 14).

Combatting Human Trafficking

The public should work together with law enforcement authorities to detect any forms of human trafficking within their localities. Everybody has a human responsibility to look out for the safety of a fellow human being as anyone can be a victim of human trafficking. More often than not, people decide to ignore issues that do not affect them directly and leave the responsibility to the government. However, individuals should realize that the victims are other people’s mothers, fathers, children, siblings, friends, etc. and anyone can be a victim of the crime. Children who do not go to school are likely to be trafficking victims (US Department of Health and Human Services, and Dansby 20).

Apart from this, people living with their employers or a large group residing in a cramped space is a reason to be alarmed. The lack of travel or identification documents is also a sign of illegal entry into a country through human trafficking (US Department of Health and Human Services, and Dansby 20). People who work for long hours without any pay, yet they do not report their employers to the authorities are likely to be illegal occupants. Physical signs of abuse (burns, bruises, broken wrists, and cuts) and psychological issues (e.g., depression) are also features of human trafficking (US Department of Health and Human Services, and Dansby 20).  Anyone who observes such signs should report the matter to human trafficking authorities or any other law enforcement agencies.

In addition to this, the government should increase awareness regarding human trafficking. Human trafficking is one of the most profitable international crimes in the world, yet most people have very little information about it. Currently, people are blaming the US government for the poor conditions of illegal immigrants due to the involvement of public figures with big social media followings such as George Clooney and Nicki Minaj (Wilson). An average fan only thinks that President Trump is punishing foreigners for wanting better lives for their families while ignoring other significant factors.

The government could use similar strategies to change the narrative and encourage people to stand up against human trafficking. The government should sponsor more documentaries aired to the public about the effects of human trafficking such as poor working conditions, sexual harassment, and limited medical care. These films should be aired on popular TV channels, where they can be viewed by the majority of the population. Currently, such documentaries are only found on YouTube and have very limited viewership. Another strategy is using respected public figures and human rights activists to run public awareness campaigns about human trafficking.

Also, the media plays a significant role in creating awareness about human trafficking through careful reporting. Media outlets should be vigilant in interrupting, investigating, and reporting of human traffickers to authorities. In most cases, the media concentrates on the figures, quotes, and facts about human trafficking. However, they do not analyze the significant aspects of the practice such as the trade routes and its impacts on families and communities. In Malaysia, most people assume that human trafficking and prostitution are similar (Cooray 134). The situation is no different in many parts of the world. People assume that female victims of human trafficking are just individuals looking for employment in the prostitution sector.

Improved journalistic practices, i.e., investigating the complicated issues, as well as the underground nature of the crime,  will lead to a better understanding of human trafficking by the general population (Cooray 134). The increasing awareness of the plight of women in society has increased the need for the eradication of human trafficking due to the high concentration of female victims in the crime. Hence, all media outlets should collaborate with various stakeholders (lawmakers and border police) to fight against human trafficking. The media has the power to influence the attitudes of the general population on various issues including human trafficking. Therefore, it has a responsibility to report news that helps in solving the problem (Cooray 134).

Moreover, the government should increase its surveillance of human trafficking hot spots. Currently, the US and other countries are using technology to detect labor trafficking. Governments track the flow of information across various networks for any signs of human trafficking (Latonero, Wex, & Dank, p.19).  Technological advancements in digital and electronic ICT plays a significant role in the process. For example, a Southeast Asia native who migrated into North America has to coordinate with various entities (employers, agents, government officials, recruiters, etc.) both internationally and locally through social media, mobile phones (texts and calls), and e-mails (Latonero et al., p.19). The communications strategies are also used by anti-trafficking officials to track the victims and perpetrators of the crime. Authorities often use put surveillance on people suspected of human trafficking connections.

However, more has to be done to detect and eradicate human trafficking. The government should have numerous confidential informants in areas that harbor victims of human trafficking such as brothels, factories, and plantations that require large amounts of labor, as well as transportation routes and illegal warehouses. The human trafficking trade has been existent for a long time due to the high level of secrecy in the dealings. If the government can infiltrate these organizations using a high-ranking official, it will be one step closer to eradicating the societal evil.

Conclusion

Human trafficking is an international crime, which denies individuals of their basic human rights. Majority of the victims are female, and half of the victims (both male and female) are underage. Everyone, including the government, the media, and the general public has a significant role to play in the prevention of human trafficking. The government should increase its surveillance of human trafficking hotspots and increase awareness about the dangers of human trafficking to the victim, as well as their families and communities. The media should enhance its reporting and investigative strategies to clear up any confusions regarding the topic and to implore the public to participate in the war against human trafficking. The public should also report any signs of human trafficking to law enforcement agencies.

Works Cited

Cooray, Manique. “The Role of the Media in Combatting Human Trafficking.”Current Law Review (2014): 127-139.

Mark Latonero, Bronwyn Wex, and Meredith Dank. “Technology and Labor Trafficking in a Network Society.”2015. .

US Department of Health and Human Services, and Dansby. “An Introduction to Human Trafficking.”2013.

Wilson, Matthew. “George Clooney, Nicki Minaj, Kristen Bell Rail against Trump’s Immigration Policy.”USA Today (2018). .