Men, women, and children are sold into a $150 billion annual
market for sex and labor. This is happening globally, and domestically;
in urban and suburban areas; in hotels, restaurants, and on street
corners. Slavery is wrapped up in almost every industry’s supply chain,
tainting the food we eat, the clothes we buy, and the electronics we
love. After the international drug trade, trafficking of humans is tied
with arms dealing as the second- largest criminal industry in the world.
Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer,
harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force
or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the
abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or
receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person
having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation
Sex trafficking is often highlighted in the media but is not the
primary form of modern-day slavery. Using coercion, violence and
deception, labor traffickers force victims to work against their will in
industries that range from small mom-and-pop shops to enormous mineral
extraction camps for commodities such as gold. Some individuals enter
into work agreements willingly but accrue enormous debt to the
trafficker in the form of food, shelter, documentation, and travel fees.
The traffickers inflate these costs and tack on enormous interest rates
that condemn their new hires to a life of underpaid labor or slavery.
Victims of sex trafficking are forced to work in the commercial sex
trade against their will. Physical and emotional violence is an
intrinsic part of this industry, which preys on individuals in
conditions of physical, economic, and psychological vulnerability. To
keep them working, victims are threatened, lied to, and beaten by
traffickers and pimps, who control their money. This practice exists
within all sectors of the sex industry, including street prostitution,
strip clubs, residential brothels, pornography stores and massage
parlors.
C.S.E.C is the sexual abuse of a minor for economic gain. The
majority of child victims come from environments of extreme instability,
and most have suffered sexual abuse prior to their commercial
exploitation. Homeless and street youth, or those facing food and
shelter insecurities are also easy targets.
Traffickers can be strangers or acquaintances, family members or
friends. The economic, physical and social vulnerability of most victims
makes them easy prey for traffickers, who lure them in with promises
for a chance at a better life. Many come from the same country or
cultural background as their victims, enabling them to easily exploit
the particular vulnerabilities of their targets. Other traffickers
employ violence to kidnap and maintain control over their victims. There
is abundant money to be made, soaring demand and little risk due to
difficulties in identification of the crime. A high burden of proof for
legal teams lowers the barrier of entry for the men and women who profit
from human trafficking.
Why does modern-day slavery exist?
Because there is skyrocketing demand
Consumer demand for cheap products, labor and services is
enormous. In the commercial sex industry business is booming.
Traffickers can work in virtually every country around the world and
move to wherever the greatest profit can be extracted. Their prime
recruitment zones shift rapidly to best exploit opportunities. Combating
the crime is complicated. Its covert nature coupled with improperly
trained government and civic bodies, corruption and lax enforcement of
laws and statutes create the perception of low risk for traffickers.
Dear friends,
In the past three months, the remains of dozens of victims of human
trafficking have been uncovered in jungle camps in Malaysia and
Thailand. These gruesome discoveries are painful reminders of the
reality of modern-day slavery in Southeast Asia and around the world.
Sadly, this is just the tip of the iceberg. There are more than 30
million people enslaved today — and, as the U.S. State Department’s new
Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report shows, the international community
is not doing nearly enough to fight it.
The countries ranking among the worst offenders for human trafficking in
the latest TIP report include Thailand, Belarus, North Korea and Iran.
Malaysia, surprisingly, was removed from its place in the lowest rung of
the TIP report.
I urge you to join me in using today — World Day Against Trafficking in
Persons — as an opportunity to raise your voice against modern-day
slavery. Please join me in the fight by learning more, spreading the
word, and supporting survivors of human trafficking. You can play an
important part in ending modern slavery at home and overseas. Please Help.
Not For Sale Campaign
