Introduction
One of the most significant problems faced by the global community in modern times is human trafficking. This activity, which involves recruitment and transportation of people with the aim of exploiting them, has been condemned as “modern-day slavery”. Organizations such as the USAID denounce it as a crime against humanity and it is decried for victimizing millions of poor people from different nations all over the world for profit.
The scale of human trafficking is high with estimates being made that up to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders annually, while many more are trafficked within the borders of their own countries (Jac-Kucharski, 2012). The scale of this problem has made led to many governments considering ways to combat the issue.
Human trafficking is a crime that violates the human and labor rights of an individual. In spite of the condemnation by the international community, human trafficking has continued to occur over the past decade. This paper will set out to define human trafficking and highlight some of the factors why it continues to occur today. The paper will discuss the effects of human trafficking and highlight some of the steps undertaken to mitigate and eventually end this degrading activity.
What is Human trafficking
Human trafficking is one of the greatest social ills of the twenty-first century. To understand what this ill entails, it would be important to offer an insightful definition of the term. In the view of Gonul (2012), human trafficking means “the recruitment, transportation or receipt of persons by means of the threat, coercion or deception to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation” (p.41).
From the definition, it can be observed that human trafficking involves the acquisition of people by improper means, including force, fraud or deception with the aim of exploiting them. Trafficked persons can travel voluntarily to their destination or then can be coerced or even kidnapped by the trafficker. When traveling is voluntarily, the trafficker deceives the victim that he/she is going to an agreed upon destination region for some enticing economic opportunity. The reality that the victim has been trafficked only emerges later.
A better understanding of what human smuggling is can be developed by contrasting it to human smuggling. Trafficking differs from human smuggling in a number of ways. While both activities involve the illegal movement of persons from one country to another, in smuggling, once the persons are in the designated country, they are released from any obligation to the transporter (Britton & Dean, 014).
In addition to this, the smuggled individuals know which country they are entering into and they often pay a lot of money to be moved into the country. In trafficking, the persons are moved illegally but they are not free from the transporter even after they are within the destination country.
In most cases, the transporter claims that the persons still owe them money and they have to work for them until the money is paid off (Britton & Dean, 2014). Another feature of trafficking is that the individual can be taken to a different country than originally planned or forced to engage in work that is different from what was initially agreed upon.
Figures of how many victims are involved in human trafficking are hard to get since the activity is shroud in secrecy. Collins (2014) comments that accurate figures are not available due to the secrecy of the crime and the fear that victims have of the retribution to themselves or their families should they escape or report their captors.
However, the USAID estimates that there are 12 to 27 million people enslaved and exploited through human trafficking (Collins, 2014). The exploitation of the trafficked persons takes place over a long period of time.
Factors that Contribute to Trafficking
The primary cause of human trafficking is poverty, which makes an individual vulnerable to traffickers. Trafficking involves acquiring and exploiting other people. The victims of human trafficking are often poor and vulnerable. Gonul (2012) confirms that studies have clearly identified notions of poverty and vulnerability as key causes of trafficking. Specifically, the lack of economic opportunities by individuals in their home country or region has been identified as a cause of trafficking.
A person who is desperate to escape poverty is vulnerable to deceit by human traffickers who often promise to offer economic opportunities at the foreign locations. Jac-Kucharski (2012) explains that the potential victims experience a myriad of push factors that impel them to leave the areas of origin.
These factors include low living standards and the lack of economic opportunities. The United Nations (2008) elaborates that the allure of opportunity serves to drive the poor and vulnerable into dangerous situations where they are at great risk of being exploited.
However, it should be noted that it is not only the poorest of the population who are victims of trafficking. In some cases, people who enjoy a modest income in their home country become victims of trafficking. In these cases, the victims seek better employment opportunities in foreign countries.
The traffickers promise to transport them to the new destination and link them with good employment opportunities. Collins (2014) illustrates that there are cases were victims pay as much as $7,000 to traffickers who are believed to be brokers of travel or employment before they are enslaved.
While human trafficking has existed for many decades, some factors in the modern world have increased its occurrence. The most significant factors that have led to the increase in human trafficking cases is the ease of travel and communications and the economic globalization experienced over the past 3 decades. Due to these features, the international criminal organizations that profit from human trafficking are able to easily engage in multiple activities in various countries.
Gonul (2012) reveals that trafficking activities have broadened and diversified under the influence of globalization. Jac-Kucharski (2012) declares that globalization enhances the possibilities of organized crime groups by making it easy for them to work in tandem with local syndicates in the source countries to acquire trafficked individuals at a decreased cost and with greater efficiency.
In addition to this, globalization has contributed to an increase in human trafficking by creating more demand for trafficked individuals. Onuoha (2011) asserts that globalization has also served to encourage human trafficking by creating an increase in the demand for cheap labor provided by trafficked persons. The monetary incentive for the traffickers to enslave people has therefore become greater than it was in previous decades.
The potential benefits obtained by the trafficker from the trafficking process have contributed to the human trafficking phenomenon. Trafficking is a multi-billion dollar activity and the financial gains for traffickers is great. Unlike in human smuggling where the person is released from any obligation to the transporter once he/she has reached the designated country, trafficked people are required to continue paying money to the trafficker for extended durations of time.
The potential financial gains motivate the trafficker to engage in multiple crimes to traffic people. Jac-Kucharski (2012) documents that most victims are coerced into migration and forcefully moved across international borders.
The traffickers who engage in these actions take on significant risks since if they are discovered by the authorities they will face criminal punishment. However, many choose to engage in human trafficking since they are confident that the financial benefits of the activity are so substantial as to outweigh the potential risk of punishment.
Consequences of Trafficking
Trafficking has many negative impacts on the individual and the society as a whole. Arguably the most damaging impact of human trafficking is the physical and psychological trauma experienced by the victims. Trafficked individuals are often subjected to various forms of abuse. The primary objective of the trafficker during the trafficking process is to keep the victim under control and ensure that the victim complies with all the rules. Abuse is the primary way through which the control is enforced all through the trafficking process.
The abuse includes physical violence, deprivation of food and sleep, sexual abuse and psychological abuse. Physical violence against the victims leads to injuries, disabilities and in extreme cases death. The United Nations (2008) reports that due to the prolonged and repeated abuse suffered by the trafficked persons, they experienced a myriad of psychological issues including PTSD, disorientation, anxiety, depression, and difficulty concentrating.
The trauma worsens over the course of the trafficking process and it is likely to persist even after the person is free from the exploitation. Trafficking therefore has long-term consequences on the lives of the victims who suffer during the process and even after they are freed.
Human trafficking has an enormous economic cost on the society. To begin with, the community is deprived of the productivity that would have been provided by the imprisoned traffickers. The trafficked individuals do not play a part in the enhancement of their society since they do not get paid or pay taxes. The other economic cost comes from the significant resources dedicated to the prevention of trafficking.
To combat the issue, governments have had to invest in additional law enforcement officers who investigate suspected crimes and arrest the perpetrators (Kaneti, 2011). The resources of the criminal justice system are also used to prosecute and imprison traffickers. In addition to this, the victims may need various social support services form the government.
This might be in the form of healthcare, welfare, or even witness protection. The United Nations (2008) reveals that the ongoing care and support of victims represents a significant economic burden for the home country of the victims.
A troubling impact of human trafficking is that it leads to an increase in crime levels in the society. Human trafficking is a hugely lucrative activity and it is estimated that this illicit crime network produces a revenue of $30 billion dollars annually. Neumann (2015) notes that human trafficking as a criminal enterprise is second only to drugs in terms of profitability to transnational organized crime groups. Due to the huge profit motivation, organized criminal groups are keen to continue engaging in this activity.
The revenue obtained by the criminal organizations from these activities are used to finance other crimes. Siskin and Wyler (2013) document that human trafficking operations are associated with other crimes including bribery, arms dealing, drug trafficking and money laundering. The significant financial resources obtained from the human trafficking operations enable these additional crimes.
The victims of trafficking also end up being used to engage in criminal activities. Siskin and Wyler (2013) report that women who are used as sex slaves are at times used to smuggle and distribute drugs. This report is corroborated by Neumann (2015) who reveals that in South America, victims of trafficking are forced into working for criminal organizations as prostitutes or drug runners.
Mitigating Human Trafficking
From the various consequences of the trafficking in human beings illustrated above, it is evident that this activity is detrimental to the social, political and economic development of societies. The global community agrees that human trafficking is an undesirable and criminal activity. World leaders have acknowledged that trafficking in persons is “a form of modern slavery that violates human rights, country security, economies, and public health in every nation” (Collins, 2014, p.69).
There is agreement that action needs to be taken to deal with this issue. The United Nations (2008) recognizes that traditional methods of preventing human trafficking have failed to have a significant impact on the issue. It would therefore be important to consider effective ways of mitigating and eventually eradicating human trafficking.
Prevention strategies are deemed important in the quest to deal with trafficking. Collins (2014) notes that many nations attach a high level of importance to prevention efforts since they are deemed to be the best method to deal with human trafficking. The first widely adopted prevention strategy is the increase in public awareness on the issue.
The public involves the people who are at greatest risk of being lured by traffickers. In many instances, traffickers take advantage of the ignorance of their victims to engage in trafficking. Through public awareness campaigns, individuals can be informed on the tactics used by traffickers. Tverdova (2011) documents that many accounts of human trafficking have been made over the decade with the aim of publicizing the problem. This will help potential victims identify traffickers and avoid being trafficked.
Addressing the economic situations that predisposes people to exploitation by the traffickers is key to mitigating human trafficking. Nicola and Rijen (2014) declare that preventive measures must consider taking action in countries of origin, where the recruitment takes place. Specifically, the local situation in the country must be addressed.
As previously noted, poverty predisposes individuals to be victims of exploitation. Preventive measures should therefore address the issue of poverty. Such measures should reduce poverty and increase the education opportunities available to the at risk populations.
A significant step by the global community in combatting human trafficking was the adoption of the Trafficking Protocol in November 2000. This protocol, developed by the United Nations, sought to make it easier to identify trafficked persons and punish the traffickers (Kaneti, 2011). An important aspect of the protocol is that it was victim-friendly in that it protected the interests of the victims.
Some compensation and privacy compensation measures were included in the protocol. Since its adoption, the Trafficking protocol has been ratified by 117 countries and its articles are being applied in combatting human trafficking. The protocol has contributed in the rise in political and popular interest in combating human trafficking.
Another strategy to combat human trafficking is the enactment of stricter border policies. In most cases, human trafficking involves moving people across international borders. Traffickers make use of lax border rules or unsecured borders to move people from host country to destination country. Collins (2014) documents that traffickers rely on weak border controls and the bribery of boarder security guards and other officials to cross borders.
Securing the borders will therefore be an important step in preventing trafficking in person. Law enforcement patterns heavily influence the actions of traffickers. The United Nations (2008) asserts that stricter border controls will assist in the prevention of trafficking by deterring and preventing irregular movements across borders. If the risks involved in the trafficking process are too high, the traffickers will choose not to engage in this activities.
Discussion
The international community has shown great commitment to addressing the human trafficking scourge facing the world today. International organizations such as the UN have taken on a leadership role in tackling the problem. Individual countries and the international community are not yet effective in fighting human trafficking or protecting and rehabilitating its victims (Tverdova, 2011).
However, the world has a greater understanding of what human trafficking entails, the general profile of the trafficking victims and how traffickers recruit potential victims. It can be hoped that with concerted effort, the world will be rid of human trafficking in future.
Conclusion
This paper set out to discuss the great social ill that is human trafficking with a focus on the factors that Contribute to its prevalence and ways to mitigate the heinous crime. It began by defining human trafficking as the activity involving the acquisition of people by improper means, including force, fraud or deception with the aim of exploiting them. Poverty has been highlighted as the primary driver of human trafficking. Traffickers exploit the economic situation of the poor to engage in this activity.
Globalization has also contributed to the increase in trafficking cases over the past decade. The paper has illustrated how human trafficking is detrimental to the social, political and economic development of societies. The paper has noted that effective counter-trafficking strategies can only be developed if one understands what drives the activity.
Prevention and mitigation strategies should therefore address the ignorance and poverty by the poor, who are the primary source of victims for the traffickers. The government should also enhance stricter border control to prevent traffickers from smuggling people out of the country. Human trafficking is a crime that violates the human and labor rights of an individual. All efforts must therefore be taken to abolish this heinous crime and therefore prevent the numerous negative consequences of human trafficking.
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