Sex Trafficking: Modern Slavery

In 1981, slavery was officially abolished from the world. However, the abolishment is the illegalisation of traditional chattel slavery, where a person owns another person. In today’s world, slavery continues to thrive in almost every country taking on other forms. Sex trafficking is a form of modern slavery as it is the illegal movement of people for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Sex trafficking syndicates have various modus operandi for recruiting sex slaves. Women and children are often more susceptible to being recruited due to the high demand in the sex trade. More commonly, children recruited are often abducted, bought or taken away from parents to pay off debts. On the other hand, there are 2 types of adults being recruited as

The sex trafficking syndicates often exploit their victims using the debts the victim incurred through their transportation to the destination country. They do so by altering the terms of the debts or inflating the amount of the debt. They may also refrain from informing the victims of the debts associated with their transportation to the destination country until they have arrived. This results in the victims having to pay off their debts through engagement in the sex trade before they can be freed. Victims may also be compelled into the sex trade as sex trafficking syndicates may exploit them by illegally withholding their passports or threatening to repatriate them without

In prosecuting sex trafficking syndicates, the testimonials and cooperation of the victims are vital. However, with insufficient measures to protect the victim’s safety and livelihood, they may be unwilling to report, identify or testify against the traffickers. Currently, victims from some countries, such as Vietnam and Nepal, are not allowed to work under the Temporary Job Scheme provided by the Ministry of Manpower. However, the act should provide all victims with the right and option to work. They should not be denied the right to work because of their country of origin. They are still victims of trafficking, who are earning an income to support their family. They may lose their source of income should they file complaints against the sex trafficking syndicates. With the support of the act, victims will be empowered to assist in the prosecution of sex trafficking.

On a global scale, there are many challenges in the battle against sex trafficking. Sex trafficking in its nature is surreptitious due to its illegality. It is therefore hard to ascertain the gravity of the problem and tackle the issue extensively. Also, every country has a different approach in identifying and dealing with the issue. The definition of sex trafficking and even the methods used to convict and prosecute traffickers vary from country to country. International cooperation is therefore crucial to solving these