What is human trafficking?

Question:

Discuss about the Human Trafficking.

Human trafficking is a contemporary growing concern that has attracted global attention. It is an up surging menace and it is considered a global crisis with majority of the victims being women and children. This paper explores different dimensions of human trafficking in globalization and their causes. The subsequent section of this paper will focus on the consequences and preventive mechanisms of trafficking. The paper also offers  a brief solution on how to handle the victims of traffickers.

United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons defines human trafficking as forceful recruitment, transfer, transportation or harbouring of persons (2000). It could be abduction, fraud or by threat and involves taking advantage of the vulnerable by exploiting them. However, Russell observes that precise and reliable data on human trafficking to track bearing the fact that is illegal and often inconspicuous (2017). Another impediment to getting such data is the magnitude and different definition to human trafficking. Human trafficking can take place within the country or even across international borders. It is a globally spread practice- albeit illegal- and is believed to fetch colossal profits for the trafficking brokers (Russel, 2017).

Trafficking is considered a ‘gendered’ offense and may involve children, and women- or even men- based on different reasons. Statistics show that most of the victims are trafficked into either domestic slavery or sex industry (US Trafficking in Person Report, 2010). Human trafficking in most instances is blatantly accompanied by violence and exploitation (Fisanick, 2010). Fisanick further notes that in modern trafficking, the victims may be legally or illegally documented as they are taken into unknown countries incognizant of the underlying aftermaths (2010). Human trafficking is entrenched in gender inequality, economic resilience (Davy, 2015). Modern traffickers take advantage of growing unemployment and high poverty level among women in their motherland by promising them a well-paying jobs and serene environment.

According to Bales, human trafficking is tremendously driven by myriad of factors such as poverty, economic downturn, instability, graft, and impotent legal and institutional structures (2007). Weak family and social networks may also attribute to trafficking. For instance, divorce or death of parents may render children destitute, which may result to extreme exploitation or trafficking (Davidson, 2015). Such children feel neglected and are susceptible to trafficking. They could be trapped into false promises of better standards of living in another country. The U.S Department of State Trafficking in Persons report that approximately 21 million are currently trapped into forced labour and forced commercial sex (2010). International Labour Organization (ILO) further notes that $ 150 million illicit profits are raked annually from forced labour (2014).

Victims of Human Trafficking

There first dimension of trafficking is in form of cultural or sex trafficking. This is common in Sub-Saharan African culture where young girls are coerced into early marriages (Bales, 2007). For example, the Kokombas community in Ghana, men do have an early arrangement to marry young girls at their early adolescent stage. Such cultural practice undermines human dignity and human rights (Bales, 2007). Sex trafficking also entails coercing victims into commercial sex and strip-club dancing. Most victims are normally girls under 18 years. Sexual trafficking is common in areas that tolerates cultures that devalue women and in most instances stomach sexual exploitation. Sex trafficking also stems from ethnic bias, poor education, and consistent conflict. Bales notes that forced commercial sex is common where victims are illegally taken into foreign countries- with help of traffickers- and thereafter their personal identification documents seized. The victims are then blackmailed with stance legal actions if they do not comply with the traffickers demand.

Trafficking may also be in form of debt bondage or labour. Debt bondage trafficking is commonly practised in Africa and some parts of India (Bales, 2007). The practice entails using children to settle debts. The victim is compelled to work for the creditor until the debt is paid off. This practise is common northern Ghana- among the Telensi community (Bales, 2007). Labour trafficking is common in countries like USA, Mexico, and Philippines. The victims are usually subjected to forced labour with little or no pay in extreme working conditions (ILO, 2014). In the USA, the labour-related sectors that where trafficking is practiced are agriculture, domestic servitude, hotel services, manufacturing and janitorial services. Just like sex trafficking, most labour trafficking victims are illegal immigrants (USA Trafficking in persons Report, 2010).

Human trafficking dehumanizes the victims as they endure both psychological and physically excruciating pain. Empirical evidence from interviews conducted on human trafficking survivors show that those victims of human trafficking who are subjected to sexual assault such as rape and forced prostitution suffered psychologically and physically Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in person (UN Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in person, 2010) . Most of the victims suffer mental problems because of trafficking experience. Common among the victims were back pain, fatigue, headache and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Interviews further revealed that psychological health symptoms prevailed longer than physical symptoms.

Victims of labour trafficking suffer poor sanitation and ventilation, working overtime, poor training, high-risky equipment, inadequate protective working materials, extreme temperatures, and chemical hazards. Exposure to such unpleasant conditions may lead to dehydration, exhaustion, hypothermia, heart complications, stress, respiratory problems, skin infections, and frostbite (UN Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in person, 2010)

Causes of Human Trafficking

In general, the dominant post-human trafficking effect is poor mental health. Depression, anxiety disorders, and physical dysfunction are some of the psychological trauma that the victims suffered. Sex trafficking victims are also coerced into using drugs. Research reveals that traffickers forcefully inject drugs to victims with main aim of having an easy control over them. In addition, forced social-isolation by separating them from their families emotionally manipulates the victims (UN Protocol to prevent, suppress, and punish trafficking in person, 2010)

Victims also suffer legal insecurities particularly those who cross the borders. This happens when traffickers confiscate personal-identity documents. In such incidences, victims are treated as illegal immigrants instead of being identified as victims of illegal act. Therefore, they risk detention or being imprisoned by the host county. Those who manage to go back to their countries suffer stigmatization to the new health issues. The victims live in perpetual fear of being trafficked again (UN Protocol to prevent, suppress, and punish trafficking in person, 2010).

Regulatory strides are imperative at policy level in order to create awareness of inherent risks of human trafficking. This step should especially be focused on those individuals that plan to migrate. Migrant officials in destination set-up should adopt similar legal redress model to those in the domestic settings. The government should step in in dispensing provision of healthcare to the victims of trafficking. This can be realized by granting such persons right to state-sponsored health services or through financial support (US National Centre for Victims of Crime, 2016).

According to Aronowitz, there is a limited empirical research on human trafficking (2017). Studies on potentially samples representing trafficked and how their health are affected are particularly inadequate. Aronowitz observes that empirical data particularly on men trafficking and the aftermath of trafficking is scarce. In similar vein, there is need for sufficient data on labour trafficking across wide range of production sectors involved. There is also need to analyse the policies and strategies that can appropriately counter trafficking menace.

Furthermore, intergovernmental organisations must prioritize objectives on addressing inequality and poverty. This is a significant step in combating trafficking cases that are caused by impoverishment. It can be effected by equal educational opportunities, easy access to finance, fair labour rights, and minimum wage to improve standards of living. State must ensure that effective legal frameworks are put in place to ensure traffickers are prosecuted and exposed to harsh penalties (UN Protocol to prevent, suppress, and punish trafficking in person, 2010)

Indeed human trafficking is a growing concern in global platform. Victims of human trafficking suffer both psychological and physical health. This calls for an urgent need to adopt policies that criminalize human trafficking. As discussed in the points above, human trafficking dehumanizes the victims. Both government and non-governmental organizations should step up in condemning human trafficking.

Fig i: an anti-trafficking campaign image. The image seek sensitize the public on the plight of victims of human trafficking.

Image source: https://www.phantomrescue.org

Fig. ii: an anti-trafficking campaign image. The image helps in condemning children trafficking.

Image source: https://www.phantomrescue.org

Fig iii: An anti-trafficking campaign image. The mobilizes everybody to play a critical in fighting trafficking

Image source: https://www.phantomrescue.org

References

Aronowitz, A. A. (2017). Human Trafficking. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, LLC.

Bales, K. (2007). Ending slavery: How we free today’s slaves. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

Davidson, J. O. (2015). Modern Slavery: The Margins of Freedom.

Davy, D. (2015). Understanding the Support Needs of Human-Trafficking Victims: A Review of Three Human-Trafficking Program Evaluations. Journal of Human Trafficking, 1(4), 318-337. doi:10.1080/23322705.2015.1090865

Fisanick, C. (2010). Human trafficking. Detroit: Greenhaven Press.

ILO. (2014). Employment Practices and Working Conditions in Thailand’s Fishing Sector. Geneva: International Labour Office.

National Centre for Victims of Crime (U.S.), & United States. (2016). Human trafficking.

Russell, A. (2017). Human Trafficking: A Research Synthesis on Human-Trafficking Literature in Academic Journals from 2000–2014. Journal of Human Trafficking, 1-23. doi:10.1080/23322705.2017.1292377

United Nations. (2000). Protocol to prevent, suppress and punish trafficking in person, especially women and children. Geneva: UN.

United States. (2010). Trafficking in persons report. Washington, D.C.: Office of the Under Secretary for Democracy and Global Affairs.