Human Rights Approach to Transnational Human Trafficking
1. Introduction Human trafficking is a complex issue that affects nearly every part of the world, with human trafficking organizations particularly prominent in Asia, former Soviet countries, Mexico, Balkans and Nigeria. A recent CNN report about the sale of African migrants as slaves in Libya has thrust human trafficking back into the limelight of public discourse, inciting outrage, protests and international condemnation.
Article 3, paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons defines Trafficking in Persons as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms
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In 2012, President Obama described human trafficking as ‘modern slavery’. According to Dr. Bales, there are more slaves now[2012] than at any other time in history . Contrary to popular opinion, the number of slaves in the world is not decreasing, but …show more content…
In the era of globalization, socio-economic disparities play a significant role in as trans-national human trafficking generally occurs from poorer to wealthier nations. Economic need also increases the vulnerability and sense of desperation of potential victims. Mexican traffickers, known as “coyotes,” take advantage of desperate situations of existing poverty and hardship in Mexico - the prevalent origin country of trafficking victims in the United States - and promise safe passage to a new life in the United States
Human trafficking is the fastest growing crime in the entire world and is considered modern day slavery. Almost 80% of trafficking is through sexual exploitation, which means that it primarily affects women and girls (UNODC, 2009). Victims are often tricked into the business through promise of work or a better life and sometimes just randomly stolen right from their homes. However, this is not just an issue overseas. Michigan is listed as the state with the second highest rates of human trafficking.
Cross country human trafficking is considered as transnational crime matter. The word “crime” is defined in dictionary as “ an action or omission, which constitute an offence and is punishable by law” (Online Oxford Dictionary, http://www.oxforddictionaries .com /definition/english/crime). Human trafficking is an exploitation of a person without his/ her consent, which may happen within original country or destination country. Therefore this is considered as transnational crime
In the 21st century people believe that slavery is a historical relic, but the truth is history always finds a way to repeat itself. Slavery is not something only from the past, across the world its estimated by International Labour Office in 2016 that 40.3 million people are enslaved today. Plus 10 million from that number are children, and 4.1 are being expiate by the government. Consequently, modern slavery is a truly a tormenting phenomena of this period of time and equivalent to slavery, and it is an umbrella term, due to the fact that it isn’t really defined with a term by the law. But it can be seen and insinuate to as human trafficking, forced and bounded labor, child labor and child soldiers, forced prostitution and forced
In the United States, human trafficking has taken on different forms than what is normally thought of as human trafficking. It can range from a migrant laborer wanting to get a job to be able to support his family to survive who is then forced into manipulative work to a child running away to get away from abuse that is happening at home and the person that is helping the child get away from the abusive situation at home turns out to be exploiting him or her to make a profit (Farrell et al, 2014). According the International Labour Organization has estimated that 20.9 million people are involved in human trafficking in the whole world, with 1.5 million victims are in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. In 2011, there were 3,969 convictions worldwide, and there were only 151 convictions in the United States.
In his essay, Supply and Demand: Human Trafficking in the Global Economy, Siddharth Kara examines how human trafficking has become tightly intertwined with the global economy and ponders how to combat the global issues it creates. Kara begins the article by recalling a time that he was in Nigeria exploring the town of Badagry, where some of the first slave-trading posts for the African American Slave Trade were built in the early
Human trafficking is a figure of transnational organized crime and a serious infringement of basic human civil liberties. The fight against human trafficking is the joint responsibility of the global community and joint efforts must be strengthen by further developing the close cooperation that already exists between governments and nongovernmental organizations (U.S. DOT & CBP 2013). Concentrating efforts towards bordering countries is paramount in the fight against human trafficking. A prime example is U.S. Senator John McCain and Congresswoman Martha McSally from Arizona presented to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives the Transnational Criminal Organization Illicit Spotter Prevention and Elimination Act.
Some of the current US policy and legislation in use to combat human trafficking is the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, “which is the cornerstone in human trafficking legislation”, that helped in the efforts against human trafficking. The act combats trafficking
Rothman et al (2017) implicates a sense of urgency in relation to survivor identification. Asserting current calculations and scholarly research do not represent the true realities of human trafficking. Implying data obtained from criminal justice systems rarely pinpoints exact results as many traffickers avoid detections and dedicated hotlines most often report inadequate or overestimated cases. Suggesting more accuracy and precision is warranted.
After 2 days volunteering at IRC and participating in Human Trafficking panel, I feel more positive about lives that there are always hopes in even the darkest corners of the world, as Denene Yates, Executive Director of the Safe House of Hope, said “You are not isolated, you are not alone, you are not invisible; we are still here and we care” (Human Trafficking, March 15, 2016). Besides, I have learnt many things about this international issue. Firstly, helping victims of human trafficking is an extremely difficult process because most of the victims do not see themselves as victims, and the authorities of many countries, including the US, don’t take enough consideration for this issue. Second, human trafficking happens everywhere, and the traffickers can be even victims’ relatives, close friends and parents. In
Many forms of modern-day slavery still exist. The most popular form amongst us is human trafficking and it has become one of the most profitable, most horrifying businesses in the world. Nevertheless we must ask ourselves, what are the factors that contribute to it? An essential reason for trafficking is the demand for low-priced workers and prostitutes in developing countries. At the same time, there are millions of poor and vulnerable people who want to search for a better life elsewhere.
Human trafficking, or trafficking in persons (TIP) or modern day slavery, is a heinous and widespread crime occurring around the world in nearly every society. Most people often thought slavery was part of the past; however, human slavery is part of our current society and has been an on-going issue around the world. Human trafficking is a type of slavery that involves forced or bonded labour, sexual servitude, child labour, or involuntary servitude all over the world. It is important to note that sex trafficking contributes to more than half of human trafficking and most of these victims are women and young girls. This modern day slavery can happen to anyone, anywhere, and at anytime (Ton, 2012).This literature review of documents and reports
All around the world human trafficking exists and there needs to be a stop to it. Human Trafficking is a national problem because current laws are ineffective and therefore action needs to be taken to reduce the problem. Human Trafficking became our modern day slavery. Victims being forced into labor, being drug camels, and solicitation. Slavery has brought sadness to the world and yet aren’t realizing that the people being trafficked are becoming slaves.
We are living in a world where one person has an absolute power over another. The groundless trade of human beings in today’s world shows a deteriorated state of affairs which confirms that the greatest moral challenge facing the globe today is human trafficking. It refers to illegal sale or trade of people for sexual abuse or forced labor through coercion or abducting people. Our world is facing from many obstacles created by natural and manmade disasters which further results in problems in every country’s economy and social welfare of every person is jeopardized and one of the problems faced by majority of the nations of this world due to economic downfall is human trafficking. It is one of the most atrocious human rights infringements commonly
ABSTRACT Human trafficking is the trade of humans, most commonly for the purpose of slavery, forced labor, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. This unjustified trade and exploitation of human beings in the 21st century reflects a sad state of affairs which confirms that the greatest ethical challenge facing the globe today is human trafficking. It portrays a contrasting picture of inequality among equals with regard to the right of every individual over his or her life, since trafficked victims are compelled to sell their inherent freedom. Their cry for help is drowned in the sea of constant oppression and general sense of apathy which has been continuing for centuries. Human trafficking can occur within a country
“The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil but by those who watch them without doing anything”-Albert Einstein Human Trafficking is the trade of humans for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labour, organs removal, commercial sex exploitation and economic exploitation. Normally, trafficking is done by threat, compulsion, abduction, fraud, misleading, abuse of power, vulnerability, giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim .Trafficking in person is a serious crime and dignified violation of human rights . Most of people nowadays do not know that human slavery still exists; after it was abolished 150 years ago, its proven when there is an auction of young women intended for sexual slavery occurred publicly in Britain highly policed location and another auction even took place in front of a café at Greenwich Airport, Britain (News by BBC UK, 4 June 2006, 14.31 GMT). These crimes have been booming and become a global phenomenon when victims from at least 153 countries were detected in 124 countries worldwide between 2010 and 2012.