The worrying increase of human trafficking.

By: Amalia FERREIRA BESSET

Currently, it is estimated that 26.7 million people are victims of human trafficking at any given moment. 71% are women, and 1 in 4 are children.

Put simply, human trafficking is the coercion and exploitation of people to benefit from their service or work . It is considered to be the second largest crime industry in the world, gaining over $150 billion in profit each year. Victims can be of any age, gender, or origin, although women and people in precarious situations are often the most vulnerable. This international crime can take many different forms, and isn’t always very noticeable. Human trafficking is characterised by three different aspects. The first one: the act. This can be recruitment, transportation, harbouring, transferring or receiving. The second aspect is the means. There are many different means of human trafficking, and many can be used at the same time, although the most common include coercion, fraud, deception, threats and abuse of a position of vulnerability. The final and third aspect is the purpose of trafficking. This is, in any case, exploitation.

There are several different ways trafficking victims are exploited, the most common for women being sexual exploitation, with forced labour the most common for men. Other types of exploitation include forced marriages, organ removal and domestic servitude. Additionally, there are particular forms that are most commonly attributed to child victims, such as child soldiers and forced begging. Children make up 27% of human trafficking victims worldwide, yet in certain countries in West Africa, they make up the majority of victims. They are also relatively common in Asia’s Mekong region (encompassing countries such as Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar) and countries currently experiencing war.

Despite the very high number of victims, only around 50, 000 cases are reported each year. This is primarily due to the fact that victims often fear speaking up, as they are being manipulated and coerced by offenders. Offenders also tend to take their victims’ legal documents away, as a means to force them to stay under their control. In many cases, the victims blame themselves for their situation, and feel embarrassed of their predicament.

Human trafficking is a complicated crime to prevent, as it is the fastest rising crime industry in the world. Traffickers are constantly finding ways to bypass the law and gain money without getting caught. In addition, many traffickers work with corrupt government officials who they bribe to turn a blind eye to their crimes and victims’ situations. Some traffickers also pose as their victim’s lover, and manipulate them into truly believing that they are being exploited willingly. In certain cases, victims are not even aware that they are being exploited.

Stopping human trafficking as a whole is something that the UN, trafficking survivors, and many organisations work towards, although it often seems to be an unattainable goal. Through the COVID-19 period, trafficking rates decreased significantly, yet they shot right back up to pre-pandemic levels as soon as 2023.

Currently, there is only one international law concerning human trafficking: the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime also works towards stopping this crime by supporting the development of national policies against human trafficking as well as providing mentoring and information to police officers, victim support organisations, and crime investigators. In addition, there are multiple organisations that raise awareness on the warning signs and ways to distinguish a victim. They aim towards providing support for victims, and ensuring that the illegal actions are recognizable to the general public. Such organisations include Polaris, a hotline for trafficking victims, or The Exodus Road. There are also organisations aiming to prevent human trafficking and dismantling the crime as a whole, such as the International Justice Mission, one of the largest organisations in the world fighting human trafficking through policy changes.

Human trafficking can be difficult to identify and control, however recent preventative actions against it have shown willingness to ensure that victims regain their freedom and right to safety.

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(cover image) Feedzai.com. (2022). Available at: https://feedzai.com/aptopees/2022/02/Feedzai_Human_Trafficking_blog-t.png.