Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is an illegal trade in human beings for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labor. Human trafficking is modern form of slavery and is the second largest fastest growing criminal industry in the world and profits billions of dollars in business. After the drug trade human trafficking is the second biggest organized crime in the world. Millions of victims are entrapped and exploited every year in this modern form of slavery. Human trafficking is a crime that strips people of their rights, ruins their dreams, and robs them of their dignity. Human trafficking is a global problem and an issue and has been growing since the 1700’s.
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act was created in 2000 (Polaris Project, n.d.). The Act is broken down into three parts which are prevention, protection, and prosecution. The prevention portion of the acts states that there needs to be an office set up within the state department which is monitor and combat the trafficking issue. It also makes a point to inform the public that human trafficking is out there to prevent potential victims, and insist on the creation of a task force that was special trained to fight it (Polaris Project, n.d.). Protection was created to protect those who have been victims of trafficking. It includes protection and assistance to those who have been affected by trafficking by giving non-Americans a T Visa and continue presence in the US. The T Visa and the continued presence are given to those victims to stay in America as long as they agree to continue to assist law enforcement in their investigation. Prosecution was put into place to make sure that those convicted of trafficking are punished (Polaris Project, n.d.).
Human Trafficking is an abuse of human rights that forces those who abducted to work as prostitutes (Crime Victims Rights, n.d.). It also has people working in quarries, sweatshops, on farms, as domestic an as child solders. It is currently the third most profitable criminal activity taking place in the United States, coming in behind drugs and arms trafficking. The problem has gotten so heated around the word, that the United Nations has even taken part and offering to help draft laws, create comprehensive national anti-trafficking strategies and even give resource on how to implement them (untied nations Office on Drugs and Crime, n.d.). Becoming a slave though trafficking is easer then one may think. The people are tricked with the possibility of marriage and jobs (Crime Victims Rights, n.d.). They are promised a better life here in the states and then they are informed that there is a change of plans when they get here. They are keeping under the criminal thumb with the threat of violence, and that threat is very real. They also are given drugs to become addicted so that they will continue to work for the drugs.
The public opinion speaks strongly against human trafficking. In October 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) (Public Law 106-386) was enacted. Trafficking Victims Protection Act goals are to prevent human trafficking overseas, protect victims and help them rebuild their lives in the US with Federal and state support, and under federal penalties prosecute traffickers. This not the only thing being done to fight against human trafficking. Several organizations or cities have joined together to create organizations or movements to stop human trafficking.
When researching human trafficking, there where two websites that we came across that contained information about fighting against human trafficking. One website is holding campaigns called “Not for Sale” which was inspired and coordinated by a group of students, artists, entrepreneurs, people of faith, athletes, law enforcement officers, social workers, politicians, etc,. They united to fight the global slave trade and end human trafficking. The site shows reports, events, programs, projects and history of slavery. It has a lot to offer on information about human trafficking and projects to get involved in to help end modern slavery.
The second website we came across was the “Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking.” This website has little to offer on information about human trafficking but has campaign support to offer to end human trafficking as well. Its offers something call the blue heart which can be worn on your website, on your facebook profile, on your products, your publications, etc. Wearing the blue heart reveals your support in fighting against human trafficking and raises awareness to impact on society.
Human trafficking is big business, we here about it everyday the coyotes who smuggle people into the United States through passages along the southwest border. In many ways human trafficking has become more lucrative than the drug trade.
Due to the “hidden” nature of trafficking activities, gathering statistics on the magnitude of the problem is a complex and difficult task. The following statistics are the most accurate available, given these complexities, but may represent an underestimation of trafficking on a global and national scale.
Each year, an estimated 600,000 to 800,000 men, women, and children are trafficked across international borders (some international and non-governmental organizations place the number far higher), and the trade is growing. (U.S. Department of State. 2004. Trafficking in Persons Report. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of State.)
This is only based on what has been tracked. Subjects are smuggled into this country and promised jobs and better lives only to find out the they will be used in various illegal activities such as prostitution, extortion, child pornography and a host of other crimes.
The largest number of people trafficked into the United States come from East Asia and the Pacific (5,000 to 7,000 victims). The next highest numbers come from Latin America and from Europe and Eurasia, with between 3,500 and 5,500 victims from each.

The following is a list of available statistics estimating the scope of Human Trafficking around the world and within the United States. Actual statistics are often unavailable, and some may be contradictory due to the covert nature of the crime, the invisibility of victims and high levels of under-reporting. Further obstacles include inconsistent definitions, reluctance to share data, and a lack of funding for and standardization of data collection. Particularly lacking are estimates on the number of American citizens trafficked within the U.S.

Human Trafficking Worldwide:
27 million – Number of people in modern-day slavery across the world. o Source: Kevin Bales of Free the Slaves.
According to the U.S. Department of State’s 2007 Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP Report), estimates vary from 4 to 27 million.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates 2.4 million people were victims of human trafficking from 1995-2005. This estimate uses the UN Protocol definition of human trafficking, and includes both transnational and internal data.
800,000 – Number of people trafficked across international borders every year. o Source: U.S. Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report: 2007.
Note:
The TIP Report in 2001 and 2002 estimated this figure at 700,000;
The TIP Report of 2003 reported 800,000 to 900,000 victims;
The TIP Reports of 2004 through 2006 reported 600,000 to 800,000 victims.
1 million – Number of children exploited by the global commercial sex trade, every year. o Source: U.S. Department of State, The Facts About Child Sex Tourism: 2005.
50% – Percent of transnational victims who are children. o Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Report to Congress from Attorney General John Ashcroft on U.S. Government Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons in Fiscal Year 2003: 2004.
80% – Percent of transnational victims who are women and girls. o Source: U.S. Department of State, Trafficking in Persons Report: 2007.
70% – Percent of female victims who are trafficked into the commercial sex industry. This means that 30% of female victims are victims of forced labor. o Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Assessment of U.S. Government Activities to Combat Trafficking in Persons: 2004.
161 – Countries identified as affected by human trafficking: o 127 countries of origin; 98 transit countries; 137 destination countries. o Note: Countries may be counted multiple times and categories are not mutually exclusive. o Source: UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Trafficking in Persons: Global Patterns: April 2006.
32 billion – Total yearly profits generated by the human trafficking industry. o $15.5 billion is made in industrialized countries. o $9.7 billion in Asia o $13,000 per year generated on average by each “forced laborer.” This number can be as high as $67,200 per victim per year. o Source: ILO, A global alliance against forced labor: 2005.
Foreign Nationals Trafficked into the U.S.:
14,500 - 17,500 – Number of foreign nationals trafficked into the United States every year.
It is hard to derive or build policy on human trafficking however, if an agency believes that this is a problem in their community there are resources that are available for information and training. Points of contact are the Department of Justice, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. State Department(FBI, n.d.).
Human trafficking in the united states is a one of the country’s main concerns in the aspect of seeking newer strategies in deterring and helping person that were once victimized by traffickers. In the U.S law enforcement has faces great difficulties in solving and deterring human trafficking, reasons for this being; human trafficking plays a part in organized crime with this said accessing any type of information as to the routes and key personnel involved in these activities meanwhile the only information that may be obtained is that of the victims themselves who by far have a profound problem of remembering the events accurately do to the abusive and brutal physical abuse. And because of this it becomes impossible to know any key names and is one of the reason why law enforcement have great troubles in arresting individuals involved. In other instances obtaining information’s for research has been deemed to have driven researchers to utilized secondary information for research and statistical uses to conduct their research. In many countries information’s is not shared for the purposes of avoiding public scrutiny from lack of actions not being taken from particular countries in deterring trafficking of persons. By the inabilities of utilizing the full spectrum of information regarding trafficking it has become very difficult for law enforcement in deterring these criminal activities in the country. What also contributes to the lack of information is the lack of reports, victims are just not reporting these crime. With no reports law enforcement take the initiatives in other crimes thus less attention is given to these crimes less training and investigations training also erodes the possibility deterrence thus the harder it becomes to take action in human trafficking. References
Crime Victims Rights. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2010, from Human Trafficking: http;//www.ojp.usdoj.gov
FBI (n.d.). Human Trafficking. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from http://www.fbi.gov
Polaris (n.d.). Human Trafficking Statistics. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from http://www.dreamcenter.org/new/images/outreach/RescueProject/stats.pdf
Polaris Project. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2010, from Federal Anti-trafficking Laws: http://nhtrc.polarisproject.org untied nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2010, from Human Trafficking: http://www.unodc.org

References: Crime Victims Rights. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2010, from Human Trafficking: http;//www.ojp.usdoj.gov FBI (n.d.). Human Trafficking. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from http://www.fbi.gov Polaris (n.d.). Human Trafficking Statistics. Retrieved August 11, 2010, from http://www.dreamcenter.org/new/images/outreach/RescueProject/stats.pdf Polaris Project. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2010, from Federal Anti-trafficking Laws: http://nhtrc.polarisproject.org untied nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (n.d.). Retrieved August 11, 2010, from Human Trafficking: http://www.unodc.org