Human Trafficking: Transnational Organized Crime
Human trafficking transgresses national borders and is a growing form of transnational organized crime that poses a global security threat. Human trafficking for prostitution and forced labor is one of the fastest growing areas of international criminal activity with the overwhelming majority of those trafficked are women and children.
An estimated 700,000 to 2 million people are trafficked each year worldwide; between 45,000 and 50,000 to the United States.
Trafficking is one of the largest source of profits for organized crime, behind only drugs and weapons and generates billions of dollars annually.
Trafficking affects virtually every country in the world with the largest number of victims coming from Asia, followed by the Soviet Union, …show more content…
Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and Africa.
Most of the victims are sent to Asia, the Middle East, Western Europe and North America.
Trafficking is a problem that not only affects the United States, but virtually every country in the world.
The flow of trafficking is generally from less developed countries, their neighboring countries toward the more industrialized nations, including the United States. The extent of the problem is unreliable due to the extent of the underground nature. Precise statistics are difficult to discern, however conservative estimates indicate that the problem is enormous. According to the 2014 Trafficking in Persons Report, there are approximately 700,000 to 2,000,000 victims per year. Evidence continues to grow that terrorist groups, including the Islamic State (ISIS), are using human trafficking operations to finance their activities.
According to the United States Government the definition of human trafficking encompasses: “All acts involved in the transport, harboring, or sale of persons within national or across international borders through coercion, force, kidnaping, deception or fraud, for purposes of placing persons in situations of forced labor or services, such as forced prostitution, domestic servitude, debt bondage or other slavery-like practices.”
Human trafficking is often thought of as the same as alien smuggling, which is clearly different.
Alien smuggling involves people, who knowingly enter a foreign country illegally, and who are aided by a person usually from that country for monetary gain.
The causes for the increase in human trafficking are due mainly because of poverty, oppression and war. The movement of people trans-nationally, either legally or illegally, has increased with the globalization of the world economy especially from poorer to wealthier countries . International organized crime has taken advantage of the movement of people, money, goods and services.
Other contributing factors include: the continuing oppression and subordination of women who lack any educational or economic opportunities. In some impoverished countries women and girls are viewed as economic burdens, and are sold to these traffickers for payoff, others are simply kidnapped by terrorist
groups.
The efforts to fight human trafficking are due to inadequate laws and law enforcement in both the origin and destination countries. Even the penalties for human trafficking are minor when compared to drug and gun trafficking and destination countries, hampers efforts to fight trafficking. Even
Penalties for trafficking humans for sexual exploitation are often relatively minor compared with those for other criminal activities like drug and gun trafficking. Initiatives must begin globally to human trafficking, because in addition to generating revenue it also demoralizes its victims. Once broken down these victims are more prone to joining forces with the terrorist groups. Critical gaps internationally must be closed in regards to the research and gaining accurate statistics. The United States Government needs to allocate dedicated resources and establish a clear understanding of the law in order to aid law enforcement officials stop the cycle of trafficking.
An estimated 700,000 to 2 million people are trafficked each year worldwide; between 45,000 and 50,000 to the United States.
Trafficking is one of the largest source of profits for organized crime, behind only drugs and weapons and generates billions of dollars annually.
Trafficking affects virtually every country in the world with the largest number of victims coming from Asia, followed by the Soviet Union, …show more content…
Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and Africa.
Most of the victims are sent to Asia, the Middle East, Western Europe and North America.
Trafficking is a problem that not only affects the United States, but virtually every country in the world.
The flow of trafficking is generally from less developed countries, their neighboring countries toward the more industrialized nations, including the United States. The extent of the problem is unreliable due to the extent of the underground nature. Precise statistics are difficult to discern, however conservative estimates indicate that the problem is enormous. According to the 2014 Trafficking in Persons Report, there are approximately 700,000 to 2,000,000 victims per year. Evidence continues to grow that terrorist groups, including the Islamic State (ISIS), are using human trafficking operations to finance their activities.
According to the United States Government the definition of human trafficking encompasses: “All acts involved in the transport, harboring, or sale of persons within national or across international borders through coercion, force, kidnaping, deception or fraud, for purposes of placing persons in situations of forced labor or services, such as forced prostitution, domestic servitude, debt bondage or other slavery-like practices.”
Human trafficking is often thought of as the same as alien smuggling, which is clearly different.
Alien smuggling involves people, who knowingly enter a foreign country illegally, and who are aided by a person usually from that country for monetary gain.
The causes for the increase in human trafficking are due mainly because of poverty, oppression and war. The movement of people trans-nationally, either legally or illegally, has increased with the globalization of the world economy especially from poorer to wealthier countries . International organized crime has taken advantage of the movement of people, money, goods and services.
Other contributing factors include: the continuing oppression and subordination of women who lack any educational or economic opportunities. In some impoverished countries women and girls are viewed as economic burdens, and are sold to these traffickers for payoff, others are simply kidnapped by terrorist
groups.
The efforts to fight human trafficking are due to inadequate laws and law enforcement in both the origin and destination countries. Even the penalties for human trafficking are minor when compared to drug and gun trafficking and destination countries, hampers efforts to fight trafficking. Even
Penalties for trafficking humans for sexual exploitation are often relatively minor compared with those for other criminal activities like drug and gun trafficking. Initiatives must begin globally to human trafficking, because in addition to generating revenue it also demoralizes its victims. Once broken down these victims are more prone to joining forces with the terrorist groups. Critical gaps internationally must be closed in regards to the research and gaining accurate statistics. The United States Government needs to allocate dedicated resources and establish a clear understanding of the law in order to aid law enforcement officials stop the cycle of trafficking.