Human trafficking
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Human trafficking is the transportation, recruitment of persons for forced labor, servitude and slavery purposes. This includes debt bondages and labor bondage. It is estimated that revenue from trafficked persons averages between 5-9 billion dollars annually. It is thus a growing global epidemic that requires concerted efforts to curb. Deceitfulness and greed of the human traffickers is making this problem a very tricky issue to deal with (Jones, et al, 2007, 16).
The traffickers usually recruit their victims by employing tactics such as deception, coercion and fraudulent approaches. Sometimes there is the outright abuse and use of power through abduction and furthermore victims sometimes consent to different forms of exploitation from violent threats or leverages of an economic nature such as debt bondages.
There are various forms of exploitation of the victims. The most common being forced sexual exploitation or prostitution of mainly women and children. Slavery and forced labour are practices that characterize human trafficking not forgetting illegal national and international child adoption and removal of people’s organs for trade. Other forms of child exploitation include recruitment into child soldiers, early marriages, beggars, cults or religious purposes and some forms of sports like children camel jockeys and football (Emmers, Thomas, 2006, 14).
Human trafficking is different from smuggling of people in the sense that in people smuggling individuals will voluntarily ask for the services of a smuggler for a fee without necessarily involving illegal agreements as those made by deception. The smuggled individual is usually free after arriving to the destination whereas the trafficked victim’s fundamental rights are taken away since they remain enslaved or when the bondage debts are painfully exploitative (Miller, 2006, 49).
Traffickers are very tricky in their false tactics and promises used to lure their victims. Others use very manipulative and coercive tactics such as intimidation, isolation, deception, threats and physical force. Other instances like a situation of feigned love relationships are used. Moreover, others may force-feed their victims drugs to have uninterrupted control over them.
Human traffickers are making a fairly very lucrative business in many areas especially in Colombia, Eastern Europe, Russia, Hong Kong and Japan where paramount criminal institutions are in control of the industry. In many cases however this is done by smaller organizations that specialize in specific areas such as advertisement, transport, retail or recruitment. The business is thus very lucrative due to the fact that it requires little capital to invest for very high profits. It is also relatively very rare to make prosecutions concerning human trafficking (Emmers, Thomas, 2006, 44).
Trafficked victims comprise mainly of individuals from poorer regions with limited opportunities who, end up being the most powerless and vulnerable minorities in their destinations. They may be displaced refugees/runaways, or ethnic minorities though they can originate from various social classes, race or backgrounds.
Women particularly are mainly trafficked for sexual exploitation. They are lured by promises for a better job or studying opportunities but are later forced into prostitution. The criminals will usually make the necessary arrangements concerning placement of jobs and traveling procedures. It is only upon arrival to the destinations that these victims realize they were deceived concerning work nature, employment conditions and financial arrangements. They therefore end up in abusive or coercive situations which are usually very dangerous and difficult to escape from.
Criminal children traffickers on the other hand exploit the extreme nature of the parents’ poverty where the parents sometimes voluntarily sell their children to offset debts or earn some income to support the family. In many cases however, the traffickers deceive these parents concerning the prospective training of the children for improved living standards. Many children, (both male and female), have sometimes lost a parent or both especially to the AIDS pandemic.
The illegal and legal adoption processes culminates to some form of babies and pregnant mothers between the developing world and the West. There are therefore systemic inter-country vulnerabilities of scandals of adoption nature. Every year, children in their thousands are sold to the world’s business. They are often orphaned or kidnapped and in other circumstances their very families sell them. These children are mainly from Africa, South America and Asia. (Jones, et al, 2007, 23).
On their part, men are usually predominantly trafficked for forced unskilled labor which according to International Labor Organization (ILO) has an annual global income of about thirty one billion dollars. Other types of men trafficking include forced domestic slavery and/or marriage.
The extent of trafficking is not exactly known due to the variations in methodologies and the illegal procedures involved. It is estimated that the number of trafficked children, men and women range from 600,000-820,000 annually. Women and girls comprise 70% whereas 50% are minors. These victims are mainly forced into commercial sex. According to estimates by ILO, approximately 20% of the illegal 5 million Russian immigrants are forced labor victims. Even Russian Federation citizens are victims who typically are kidnapped by police and sold. They are usually chained to prevent escapes and are constantly drugged. From these facts, the Russian government has been strongly criticized as not adhering to the minimum international standards of eliminating trafficking pandemic (Miller, 2006, 56).
There are various causes of tracking. Regional disparities and imbalances play a major role in this matter. Presence of organized criminal groups and crime is another critical cause including the high unemployment levels in these regions. Others are corruption, armed conflicts, inappropriate punishment of traffickers, and instability of political organizations, high prostitutes demand and profitability of the trade. However the list of these causes is endless putting into consideration that different persons have different reasons for engagement into this trade (Bolton, 2005, 93).
Whatever the reason, human trafficking is in close relationship with other issues that lead to a threat of the security and welfare of the victims. Abject poverty, unprotected labor, physical abuse and deprivation of wages are just but a few.
All the stakeholders must make concerted efforts to reduce human trafficking. They should involve governments, non-governmental organizations and international societies and associations. Some governments have specific legislation of law and agencies are contracted to spearhead the enforcement procedures. Proper identification and protection of the victims must be emphasized. Moreover, rising of awareness amongst victims who could be potential to trafficking and to police is of paramount importance both at state and federal levels. Others should include enhancement of international conventions against human trafficking (Bolton, 2005, 78).
Work Cited
Bolton Sally. The Inhumanity of Human Trafficking. UN Chronicle, Vol.42, 2005, pp.78, 93
Emmers Ralf & Thomas Nicholas. Institutional Arrangements to Counter Human Trafficking in Asia Pacific. Contemporary Southeast Asia, Vol.28, 2006, pp.14, 44
Jones Loring et al. Globalization and Human Trafficking. Journal of Sociology $ Social Welfare, Vol.34, 2007, pp.16, 23
Miller John. Slave Trade: Combating Human Trafficking. Harvard International Review, Vol. 27, 2006, pp.49, 56
