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Sex Trafficking
1. Substance use concern
2. Runaway homeless Youth
3. Recent migration/relocation
4. Unstable housing
5. Mental health concern

Labor Trafficking
1. Recent migration/relocation
2. Unstable housing
3. Criminal record/criminal history
4. Physical health concern
5. Substance use concern

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Polaris - Polaris works to reshape the systems that allow for sex and labor trafficking in North America.

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2019 U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline Statistics - Polaris

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In 2019, the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline received 48,326 total contacts, including a 19 percent increase in the number of human trafficking victims and survivors contacting the Trafficking Hotline directly.

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1. Sex trafficking
2. Labor trafficking
3. Sex and Labor trafficking

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Polaris - Polaris works to reshape the systems that allow for sex and labor trafficking in North America.

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2019 U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline Statistics - Polaris

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In 2019, the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline received 48,326 total contacts, including a 19 percent increase in the number of human trafficking victims and survivors contacting the Trafficking Hotline directly.

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Human trafficking has a devastating impact on individual victims, who often suffer physical and emotional abuse, rape threats against self and family, passport theft, and even death. But the impact of human trafficking goes beyond individual victims; it undermines the safety and security of all nations it touches.

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1. Reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act: Many prosecutors lack the time or resources to take on these complicated cases. Adding a designated prosecutor would bring the capacity to increase collaboration between federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement and victim service providers to help identify and undertake these complex cases, leading to more prosecutions for trafficking crimes
2. Robust enforcement of the ban on goods made with forced labor: Modern slavery touches each of our lives through the clothing we wear, the electronics we use, and the prevalence of the practice in communities across the country. This year, it is the responsibility of each of us not to turn a blind eye to this crime. The United States must continue to improve policies and laws to ensure that all of us are not complicit in supporting markets for slavery.

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Although the United States abolished slavery with the ratification of the 13 th Amendment over 150 years ago, there are still an estimated 24.9 million slaves living around the world today. To raise awareness of this crime and its prevalence in our modern world, January was named National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention month.

The United States continues to be both a source and destination country for human trafficking victims. According to the Polaris Project, as of June 2017, the national human trafficking hotline had received 13,897 calls that year, which is expected to double when final stats are reported in early 2018. These calls represent reports of potential trafficking cases or come directly from people seeking help.

While many people continue to think of human trafficking as a third-world problem, the numbers paint a very different picture, with 2,105 of the 7,621 human trafficking cases recorded in 2016 involving U.S. citizens.

Over the past 18 years, the United States has taken numerous actions to help combat human trafficking both domestically and internationally. In 2000, Congress enacted the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) which built a better system of laws to combat trafficking. In 2015 Congress also passed the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, meant to expand the capacity of the U.S. government to help survivors of human trafficking. It has also banned goods made with forced labor from entering the U.S. market and worked to stop the use of forced labor by companies that hold government contracts effective at combating human trafficking.

In 2018, as we honor National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention month, we should keep this progress in mind while continuing to improve policies to combat modern slavery worldwide.

In the coming year Congress should:

Reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act: Last authorized in 2013, this landmark legislation expired in September 2017. A number of strong legislative vehicles reauthorizing TVPA moved through the House and Senate last year, but are still awaiting passage through both chambers. These bills reauthorize the most critical anti-trafficking laws and go a step further, including a critical provision adding human trafficking specialists to U.S. Attorney's offices throughout the country who will help to gain justice for victims and hold perpetrators accountable.

Last year, according to the State Department, there were only 439 trafficking convictions in the United States. This is a partially a result of the complexity of human trafficking cases and a lack of the governmental collaboration needed to successfully tackle them. Many prosecutors lack the time or resources to take on these complicated cases. Adding a designated prosecutor would bring the capacity to increase collaboration between federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement and victim service providers to help identify and undertake these complex cases, leading to more prosecutions for trafficking crimes.

Robust enforcement of the ban on goods made with forced labor: By amending Section 307 of the Tariff Act in 2016, Congress removed a longstanding loophole that prevented the strong enforcement of a ban on the import of goods made with forced labor into the United States. To enforce this ban, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) needs to initiate robust investigations into the use of forced labor. As of now, it is estimated that the United States imports $142 billion worth of goods made with forced labor annually. Congress should continue to press CBP to act with urgency to identify and stop shipments made with forced labor.

Modern slavery touches each of our lives through the clothing we wear, the electronics we use, and the prevalence of the practice in communities across the country. This year, it is the responsibility of each of us not to turn a blind eye to this crime. The United States must continue to improve policies and laws to ensure that all of us are not complicit in supporting markets for slavery.

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What the U.S. Can do to Continue Fighting Human Trafficking in 2018

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Although the United States abolished slavery with the ratification of the 13 th Amendment over 150 years ago, there are still an estimated 24.9 million slaves living around the world today. To raise awareness of this crime and its prevalence in our modern world, January was named National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention month.

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1. Fundraising: Donate to one of the countless organizations that help to fight human trafficking
2. Volunteer: Contribute by volunteering time and effort to an anti-trafficking organization
3. Be aware of the signs of human trafficking: Being educated on signs increases the likelihood of reporting and could give a voice to victims
4. Advocate: Meeting with or reaching out to local, state and federal representatives informs them that their constituents are passionate about fighting human trafficking, and brings the issue to their attention
5. Stay informed: Stay updated on statistics of trafficking and take note of any new information or solutions

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The fight against human trafficking can be evaluated in three categories: what is being done, how it is being done and why it is being done. Human trafficking consists of the transferring, harboring and receipt of a person or persons. It is often done in violent or deceptive ways, using threat, coercion, payments and a clear abuse of power. Finally, the main motive behind human trafficking is exploitation, in most cases sexual exploitation or forced labor.

People all over the world are victims of human trafficking, both in their own countries and abroad. Because this is a widespread issue with varying levels, it becomes increasingly challenging to address it with a single set of laws or policies. While many countries have adopted their own policies for addressing this international issue, there are many things that people everywhere can do to join the fight against human trafficking. Some of the solutions for this problem are presented in the text below.

Top 10 Solutions to Human Trafficking

1. Fundraising. Holding a fundraiser and donating the money raised to one of the countless organizations that help to fight human trafficking not only gives money to the cause but also brings awareness to the issue. Most organizations working to fight human trafficking are nonprofit organizations that rely on donations. Holding fundraisers helps maintain these nonprofits.

2. Volunteer. Volunteering time and effort to an anti-trafficking organization is a great way to contribute to the fight against human trafficking. In addition to helping the organization itself, the more volunteers there are, the greater the outreach can be. For example, Unseen is a nonprofit organization that helps victims of human trafficking by providing specialist care to help them along the road to recovery. There are several volunteer roles with Unseen, ranging in levels of time commitment.

3. Be aware of the signs of human trafficking. Being educated on signs that could indicate someone is a victim of human trafficking increases the likelihood of reporting and could give a voice to victims who do not feel comfortable speaking out for themselves. Signs that someone is a victim of human trafficking come in several categories. Poor work and living conditions, poor mental health and lack of control are some of the main areas to look for.

4. Advocate. Meeting with or reaching out to local, state and federal representatives informs them that their constituents are passionate about fighting human trafficking, and brings the issue to their attention. This increases the likelihood that they will do something about it. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, for example, is the cornerstone of anti-trafficking legislation in America, yet it expired in 2011. Anti-trafficking nonprofits all over the country band together to advocate for its re-authorization, which was granted in 2013.

5. Hold events to raise awareness. Raising awareness for human trafficking can also get more people involved and interested in joining the fight. It can create a chain reaction, leading to more people lobbying, fundraising and educating themselves. Regardless of what the event is, they are efficient ways to raise awareness for a cause and gain new followers.

6. Boycott products and companies that permit human trafficking. Many goods produced in the United States and abroad are products of victims of human trafficking. Being conscientious about the products consumed and the companies supported is an easy way to contribute to the fight against human trafficking. An easy way to find out what products contribute to a "slavery footprint," is the Department of Labor's List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor.

7. Help survivors. Donate clothes and other goods to shelters for victims of human trafficking. Also, encourage businesses to give jobs to survivors, helping them get back on their feet and get a fresh start. If applicable, offering legal advice to survivors allows them an opportunity to not only move forward but to gain justice. Helping survivors and contributing to their recovery stops the cycle of trauma in its tracks and ensures it won't repeat itself.

8. Stay informed. There are many anti-trafficking nonprofits with blogs and updates that people can subscribe to, keeping them in the loop of any new information or solutions to human trafficking. For example, the nonprofit organization Polaris Project offers updates via email for anyone who chooses to subscribe.

9. Report suspicions - It is important to know the resources available. When traveling abroad, it is beneficial to look up the emergency phone number of the given country, to enable quick reports should a trafficking victim be spotted.

10. Help combat the demand. The main factor that keeps human trafficking such a big issue is the constant demand for cheap labor and exploitation. Traffickers often turn to websites such as Craigslist and Backpage to target vulnerable potential victims. Enforcing stricter validity checks on websites like these and offering jobs through more reliable online platforms is attacking the problem at its root, and stopping human trafficking before it even begins.

These solutions to human trafficking can be applied to the lives of people everywhere, helping everyone feel like they are joining the fight against this international issue. At the political level, however, there is also a lot being done to combat human trafficking. In 2000, the U.S. Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, establishing what is now called the 3Ps: punish traffickers, protect victims, and prevent this problem from reoccurring. There is great progress being made on a grander scale, but by working towards these solutions and implementing them into everyday life human trafficking can become a more manageable problem.

- Charlotte Kriftcher

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Top 10 Solutions to Human Trafficking - The Borgen Project

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While many countries have adopted their own policies for addressing this international issue, there are many things that people everywhere can do to join the fight against human trafficking. Some of the solutions for this problem are presented in this article.

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No community, whether affluent or impoverished, isn't immune to the crime of human trafficking.

-Minors in the child welfare system are significantly more likely to be trafficked than their peers who have had no contact with the child welfare system
-Homeless and runaway youth are another common target for traffickers
-Foreign Nationals are at an increased risk because of the legal and travel restrictions they face
-Individuals with a history of trauma or abuse are less resilient and more susceptible to human trafficking
-Physical and social factors make individuals with disabilities more vulnerable to human trafficking

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We are working through our Human Trafficking 101 blog series, and this is part three. If you missed the first two posts in this series, make sure to go back and read part one, Uncovering Myths and Intricaciesand part two, Human Trafficking Happens Everywhere.

And now, for the rest of the story:

Where does it all begin for a human trafficking victim?

The journey of a human trafficking victim doesn't begin the moment he or she is rescued. It doesn't begin the moment the victim was first exploited. In almost every case, there's far more to the story than meets the eye.

Human trafficking is the end result of years - sometimes generations - of vulnerabilities that have been unaddressed, under-resourced, or unnoticed.

A person who's been trafficked likely lived a life with compounding vulnerabilities like: trauma, abuse, neglect, disability, violence, family breakdown, homelessness, poverty, or a combination of many factors

Though cultural norms and values differ worldwide, the need to be loved and the desire to provide for one's family are common to us all. Traffickers exploit vulnerabilities that many people already face by using stories of a better life - whether that means a feeling of belonging, a better income, or a chance for new opportunities. While these claims may appear to be legitimate at first, unfortunately for many men, women, and children, they're targeted as easy prey for exploitation.

Human trafficking affects everyone - women, men, children, youth, those foreign to a nation and a country's own citizens.

Misunderstandings about human trafficking victims:

Often, we have a very specific image of a person who's been trafficked in our minds because of a documentary, film, or news story we've seen.

This image is usually one of several varieties: a poor, shoeless person sitting in the dirt in a rural village; a teenage girl with chains around her hands and feet; or maybe even images we've seen in history books about the Transatlantic slave trade.

But these images don't provide a clear understanding of who is actually falling prey to human traffickers. Victims are often in plain view and go unidentified because they don't match the stereotypical image the media portrays and the public consumes.

While unpacking these myths completely is difficult to do concisely, we'll walk through them to help you gain an understanding of the truth sometimes captured within these myths.
Some myths about human trafficking victims and their truths:
MYTH: Human trafficking applies mostly to prostitution or sexual exploitation.
TRUTH: Human trafficking appears in many forms. For a deep dive on this topic, take a look at Uncovering Myths & Intricacies.

MYTH: All trafficked people are in other countries - mostly in Asia and Africa.
Truth: Human trafficking knows no geographical bounds. It happens all over the world, including the United States. For a broader knowledge of where human trafficking happens, read It Happens Everywhere.

MYTH: Victims of human trafficking are only found in large urban areas that are hot spots of crime or foreign villages in developing countries.
TRUTH: Human trafficking victims are found in affluent cities as well as small towns. Human trafficking occurs all over the world, not just in specific regions based on socioeconomic development.

MYTH: Most human trafficking involves females under the age of 18.
TRUTH: Human trafficking victims are found across all age, gender, and racial demographics.

MYTH: Recruiting human trafficking victims happens quickly - like strangers trying to lure children away.
TRUTH: Recruitment is a process that usually takes place over a long period of time and in a much less obvious manner. It often includes subtle brainwashing and grooming tactics.

MYTH: Human trafficking frequently happens in broad daylight in places like a park or the grocery store.
TRUTH: It can happen anywhere, any time of day or night.

MYTH: Those who are trafficked in the U.S. are not American citizens.
TRUTH: Human trafficking victims in the U.S. are foreign as well as domestic.

MYTH: There must be evidence of physical restraint in all human trafficking situations.
TRUTH: As outlined in our previous blog post defining human trafficking, the legal definition of human trafficking states: "by means of the threat or use of force, fraud, or coercion." This means that a person could feel unable to leave a situation because of fraud, coercion, or manipulation, as well as physical restraint. Also, in the United States, the TVPA has special protections for minors.

Are some communities more vulnerable to human trafficking?

No community, whether affluent or impoverished, isn't immune to the crime of human trafficking (as discussed more thoroughly in our previous post: It Happens Everywhere).

While there isn't one face of a human trafficking victim, certain populations are more vulnerable, including runaway and homeless youth, children and youth in foster care, individuals fleeing violence or natural disasters, individuals with a disability, and those who have suffered other types of abuse or exploitation in their lifetimes.
Minors in the child welfare system are significantly more likely to be trafficked than their peers who have had no contact with the child welfare system.

A 2007 study of 2,250 child victims of trafficking revealed that 75 percent of children had previous contact with the child welfare system, mostly in the context of abuse and neglect proceedings.

In 2013, 60 percent of children rescued in a nationwide raid led by the FBI in more than 70 cities were from foster care or group homes (NPR, 2013).

In 2012, Connecticut reported 88 child victims of sex trafficking. Eighty-six were child welfare involved, and most reported abuse while in foster care or residential placement.

In Alameda County, California, a one-year review of local CSEC victim populations found that 55 percent were from foster youth group homes, and 82% had previously run away from home multiple times.

Homeless and runaway youth are another common target for traffickers.
Runaway youth are often approached by traffickers at transportation hubs, shelters or other public spaces. These traffickers play the role of a boyfriend or a significant other, using feigned affection and manipulation to elicit commercial sex or services from the victim. Runaway or homeless youth may be compelled to exchange sex for basic survival necessities, such as food, shelter, or protection.

At least one in three homeless youth engage in "survival sex," the exchange of a sexual service for food, clothing, shelter or protection.

According to Covenant House, "Shelter was the number one commodity traded in return for sexual activity. Of those who engaged in commercial sex activity, almost half (of youth) - 48 percent in total - said they did it because they did not have a place to stay. Participants (in the Covenant House Research) explained how traffickers loiter in areas where homeless youth are known to gather and then tell them that the shelters are full and offer them a place to stay in lieu of sleeping on the streets."

162,000 homeless youth are estimated to be victims of commercial sexual exploitation in the United States.

Fifty-six percent of women in prostitution were once runaway youth. (Congressional Research Service)

Youth living on their own are at a higher risk for anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicide attempts and other health problems due to the enhanced exposure to violence. Each of these factors increases the youth's vulnerability to traffickers.

Foreign Nationals are at an increased risk because of the legal and travel restrictions they face.
Victims of labor trafficking have been found among U.S. migrant and seasonal farmworkers, restaurant workers, and as domestic servants. These populations include men, women, families, or children as young as five years old who harvest crops and raise animals in fields or work in packing plants, nurseries, orchards, and kitchens.

Foreign nationals are at an increased risk for human trafficking for many reasons. They are more likely to face legal restrictions on work and travel related to their visas. They are also more likely to have a language barrier, and they're more likely to be unfamiliar with the area where they live including the geographic layout, resources available, and legal protections regarding labor.

"These victims often face threats workers with arrest and deportation, even workers who have the legal right to work in the United States. Farmworkers holding H-2A temporary work visas are prohibited from working for an employer other than the one who requested their visa, leaving the worker vulnerable to abuse by an employer, crew leader, or recruitment agency." ( Human Trafficking Resource Center)

Seasonal work in the hospitality industry may also be at risk for exploitation. Undocumented workers are especially vulnerable because they are less likely to report being the victim of a crime.

Foreign nationals may also be victims of sex trafficking. Massage parlors, strip clubs, nail salons, and other businesses may pose as legitimate businesses, but actually, be run by human traffickers. "Victims in these establishments are primarily controlled through debt, blackmail, and intense psychological manipulation. Almost every aspect of their life is controlled - where they live, what they eat, where they go, what they look like, and who they are allowed to talk to."
Individuals with a history of trauma or abuse are less resilient and more susceptible to human trafficking.
Intimate partner violence, domestic violence, incest, psychological or emotional abuse and neglect, and other forms of trauma and violence can make a person more vulnerable to human trafficking. Often, individuals are not able or not yet willing to seek treatment for their previous abuse. People, especially children, and youth are less resilient after experiencing trauma and more likely to be persuaded or tricked by others who would take advantage of emotional instability, low self-esteem, physical injury, a missing support system, and an intensified need to be accepted by peers or stand-ins for family members.

"Although human trafficking affects every demographic, a common factor across all forms of modern slavery is the victims' vulnerability to exploitation. Generally, when inequality exists and where certain people lack access to social protection and justice, human traffickers are able to thrive. " TIP Report, 2016
Physical and social factors make individuals with disabilities more vulnerable to human trafficking.
Specific risk factors for people with physical or cognitive disabilities include social marginalization, difficulty with communication, and diminished ability to protect oneself due to lack of instruction or resources. In some cultures, disabilities are seen as shameful and burdensome to families. Other times, family members may not have the financial resources to provide ongoing care to their loved ones with disabilities. These families fall target to traffickers who promise families that they will provide work or education to their loved ones with a disability. However, victims are forced into organized begging rings because it is thought that they gain more sympathy (and therefore profit) by the traffickers. Additionally, individuals who are hard of hearing or sight are often targeted by traffickers because of their diminished ability to report their situation to police or someone who may be able to help them.

How do we identify those who are caught in this evil trade?

It certainly isn't easy, especially because no two situations are going to look exactly alike.

Oftentimes a human trafficking case will be noticed by someone who is most likely to come in contact with a victim - a police officer, medical professional, parent, teacher, employees at a hair or nail salon, etc. This is why training for these individuals is so important.

Red flags to look for when trying to determine if the suspicious activity you have noticed is a case of human trafficking, specifically regarding an individual include someone who is:

unable to come and go as they wish

under 18 years old and performing commercial sex acts

unpaid or paid very little for employment

in large debt to employer and is unable to pay it off

not allowed to speak for themselves

not in control of their money or bank account.

not in control of their personal identification (passport, driver's license, ID)

Other indicators include appearing fearful, anxious, submissive, tense, paranoid, etc. or avoiding all eye contact.

For more detailed descriptions of these warning signs and more take a look at the full list from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, as well as these other resources:
US Department of Health and Human Services Fact Sheet US Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign US Office of Justice Programs
If you see something, say something:

Always report it, when you see something suspicious to the local authorities in addition to calling the National Human Trafficking Hotline- 1.888.373.7888.

It's important that you're educated on what to look for so that you can speak up and be a voice for victims of this crime who often can't speak up for themselves.

Be aware that not all circumstances that first appear to be human trafficking necessarily are. At the same time, be vigilant and take note of all suspicious activity around you, and always report this to your local law enforcement. Understand that exploitation and abuse occur in lots of situations in addition to crimes of human trafficking.

Keep your eyes open for the "invisible chains."

Many people often wonder why someone caught in these horrible conditions doesn't do something to escape or report their abuse. The realities of the exploitation suffered and the complications around each situation are often misunderstood.

There are many reasons why someone who is being trafficked might not be able to leave. Victims are often taught to distrust others - particularly law enforcement, this is especially true if they are in a country illegally and could be deported if discovered. Victims are very rarely left alone and are threatened with violence. Severe retaliation or attacks on their families hold many in fear of disobeying their traffickers.

"In all forms of human trafficking, there are likely elements of grooming a victim prior to the individual becoming a victim and brainwashing and coercion to keep them from leaving. Outside of the actual act of forcing someone to stay in such situations, these factors greatly affect a person's propensity to report a crime or try to leave." TIP Report, 2016

Another common method of keeping a trafficking victim from leaving is debt bondage - this is when a trafficker claims a debt owed for shelter, food, or protection and inflates it to a point that it is insurmountable to the victim.

Additionally, victims often have psychological trauma from their abuse, which can often cause them to bond to their abuser in irrational ways.

There are many more reasons why someone might not be able to break the invisible chains holding them in their current state. The Polaris Project has a detailed list with further explanations.

Outside the influence of a trafficker's threats and lies, there's also a lack of awareness of what human trafficking is. Most victims of human trafficking will not self-identify as such because they're unaware of what it means. Additionally, their trafficker likely has justified their actions in a number of ways to convince a victim that their experience is normal and not a crime.

This is one reason why it is so important to be educated on the issue and share what you've learned with others. Education is a central piece to the identification of victims and in turn the ability of law enforcement to be able to rescue them.
The importance of understanding.
The journey a victim takes after the point of rescue is incredibly important to their future health and well-being. Prior misunderstandings of the situations human trafficking victims experience has necessitated a movement to create a more victim-centered approach. This is an effort by law enforcement to minimize re-traumatization as they move through the criminal justice system.

Familiarizing yourself with human trafficking traits and commonalities is important in helping the general public know what to look for. This helps dispel common myths mentioned previously and leads to increased identification of human trafficking situations.

Survivor Stories

A great way to gain an understanding of what human trafficking really looks like and to overturn its common myths and misunderstandings is to read personal stories and testimonies of victim's experiences. Hearing their voices explain what they suffered through gives context to what this crime can be. There are many examples in articles and books that you will find as you continue researching and learning about this topic. Here are a few:
Survivor Perspectives on the Role of Health and Human Service Systems Joining forces to fight human trafficking
What do you want to learn?

Let us know in the comments what questions you have about human trafficking.

If you suspect a trafficking situation call the National Human Trafficking Hotline now: 1-888-373-7888
More resources for further learning: The Irina Project National Human Trafficking Hotline Faces of Human Trafficking Discussion Guide

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Human Trafficking 101: Who are the Victims? | Engage Together

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We are working through our Human Trafficking 101 blog series, and this is part three. If you missed the first two posts in this series, make sure to go back and read part one, Uncovering Myths and Intricacies and part two, Human Trafficking Happens Everywhere.

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-22,326 Trafficking victims & survivors identified
-11,500 situations of human trafficking identified
-4,384 traffickers identified
-1,912 suspicious businesses identified

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Polaris - Polaris works to reshape the systems that allow for sex and labor trafficking in North America.

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2019 U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline Statistics - Polaris

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In 2019, the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline received 48,326 total contacts, including a 19 percent increase in the number of human trafficking victims and survivors contacting the Trafficking Hotline directly.

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1200-1600: Slavery had existed for many years prior to 1200, and was a common form of everyday life worldwide

1700: Human trafficking for sexual purposes was common and the Transatlantic Slave Trade was made illegal by Great Britain in 1807

1900: Women and young girl victims were (are) used for sex, while men and young boys were forced to do labor for no or little pay

2000+:80% of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19% involves labor exploitation; there are approximately 20 to 30 million slaves in the world today

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1200-1600
Slavery had existed for many years prior to 1200, and was a common form of everyday life worldwide. However, in the 1400's, it started the beginning of European slave trading in Africa with the Portuguese transporting people from Africa to Portugal and using them as slaves. Britain joined the slaved trade in Africa in 1952. During the 1600s, other countries became more involved in the European slave trade. These included Spain, North America, Holland, France, Sweden, and Denmark.
1700-
Human trafficking for sexual purposes was first legally recognised by the term 'white slavery'. According to Kristina Kangaspunta, 'white slavery' is obtaining a white woman or girl- by the use of force, drugs, or by dishonesty- for sex which is unwanted by the woman or girl. Kangapunta, has argued that international governments began to discuss 'white slavery' after the Transatlantic slave trade was made illegal in the 1700's.In 1807, Great Britain passed a law that made the Transatlantic Slave Trade illegal. In 1820, the United States was right behind Great Britain's example by making the slave trade a crime that was punishable by death. In 1899 and 1902, world wide conferences to discuss white slavery were arranged. 1904, an world wide agreement against the 'white slave trade' was created, with a focus on migrant women and children. In 1910, 13 countries signed the International Convention for the Suppression of White Slave Trade to make this form of trafficking illegal. However, despite the new laws, human trafficking still existed internationally.
1900-
Women and young girl victims were (are) used for sex, while men and young boys were forced to do labor for no or little pay. However, human trafficking of children is most common. King and Queens in Europe, in 1904, signed an agreement, the International Agreement for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic. The agreement included combating the traffic of women and girls in their countries. Later on, 12 countries signed International Convention for the Suppression of the White Slave Traffic as well. In 1923, the British colonial government in Hong Kong, passed the law of banning the selling of girls as domestic slaves. Countries all over the world started signing the law of banning the trafficking and selling of people. Forced labour and sexual exploitation was at its all time high during the 1900's. In 1927, after WWI, the League of Nations was founded. It had the goal maintaining world peace and also focusing on international issues such as human trafficking. The idea of White Slave Traffic was changed to "traffic in women and children" so that everyone was included with no discrimination to race. Children of both genders were also recognised as victims of trafficking.
2000-
Free the Slaves, an American charity organisation of Anti-Slavery International, was launched in the United States. This organisation is one of the most influential movements in history. This organisation, highlighted the effects of human trafficking. Approximately 80% of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19% involves labor exploitation. There are approximately 20 to 30 million slaves in the world today. Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry (behind illegal drugs and arms trafficking). It reportedly generates a profit of $32 billion every year. Of that number, $15.5 billion is made in industrialised countries.
Today, many charities and organisations help free and save the lives of those trafficked.

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1200-1600Slavery had existed for many years prior to 1200, and was a common form of everyday life worldwide. However, in the 1400's, it started the beginning of European slave trading in Africa with the Portuguese transporting people from Africa to Portugal and using them as slaves.

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Human trafficking usually starts in origin countries- namely, Southeast Asia, eastern Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa- where recruiters seek migrants through various mediums such as the Internet, employment agencies, the media, and local contacts.

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human trafficking, form of modern-day slavery involving the illegal transport of individuals by force or deception for the purpose of labour, sexual exploitation, or activities in which others benefit financially. Human trafficking is a global problem affecting people of all ages. It is estimated that approximately 1,000,000 people are trafficked each year globally and that between 20,000 and 50,000 are trafficked into the United States, which is one of the largest destinations for victims of the sex-trafficking trade.

Although human trafficking is recognized as a growing international phenomenon, one with a long history (see the story of St. Josephine Bakhita, the patron saint of Sudan and of victims of human trafficking), a uniform definition has yet to be internationally adopted. The United Nations (UN) divides human trafficking into three categories- sex trafficking, labour trafficking, and the removal of organs-and defines human trafficking as the induction by force, fraud, or coercion of a person to engage in the sex trade, or the harbouring, transportation, or obtaining of a person for labour service or organ removal. Though the United States does not acknowledge the removal of organs in its definition, it does recognize sex and labour trafficking and describes human trafficking as the purposeful transportation of an individual for exploitation.

The trafficking scheme

Human traffickers often create transnational routes for transporting migrants who are driven by unfavourable living conditions to seek the services of a smuggler. Human trafficking usually starts in origin countries-namely, Southeast Asia, eastern Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa-where recruiters seek migrants through various mediums such as the Internet, employment agencies, the media, and local contacts. Middlemen who recruit from within the origin country commonly share the cultural background of those migrating. Migrants view the services of a smuggler as an opportunity to move from impoverished conditions in their home countries to more stable, developed environments.

Because such circumstances make it difficult for victims to obtain legitimate travel documents, smugglers supply migrants with fraudulent passports or visas and advise them to avoid detection by border-control agents. Transporters, in turn, sustain the migration process through various modes of transportation: land, air, and sea. Although victims often leave their destination country voluntarily, the majority are unaware that they are being recruited for a trafficking scheme. Some may be kidnapped or coerced, but many are bribed by false job opportunities, passports, or visas. Transporters involved in trafficking victims from the origin country are compensated only after they have taken migrants to the responsible party in the destination country. Immigration documents, whether legitimate or fraudulent, are seized by the traffickers. After this, victims are often subjected to physical and sexual abuse, and many are forced into labour or the sex trade in order to pay off their migratory debts.

The cause of human trafficking stems from adverse circumstances in origin countries, including religious persecution, political dissension, lack of employment opportunities, poverty, wars, and natural disasters. Another causal factor is globalization, which has catapulted developing countries into the world's market, increasing the standard of living and contributing to the overall growth of the global economy. Unfortunately, globalization is a double-edged sword in that it has shaped the world's market for the transportation of illegal migrants, affording criminal organizations the ability to expand their networks and create transnational routes that facilitate the transporting of migrants. The U.S. Department of State adds that the HIV/AIDS epidemic has generated a large number of orphans and child-headed households, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, a situation that creates fertile soil for trafficking and servitude.

Types of exploitation

The most prevalent form of human trafficking that results in servitude is the recruitment and transport of people into the international sex industry. Sex slavery involves males and females, both adults and children, and constitutes an estimated 58 percent of all trafficking activities. It consists of different types of servitude, including forced prostitution, pornography, child sex rings, and sex-related occupations such as nude dancing and modeling. Forced prostitution is a very old form of enslavement, and recruitment into this lifestyle is often a booming business for purveyors of the sex trade. Victims of sexual slavery are often manipulated into believing that they are being relocated to work in legitimate forms of employment. Those who enter the sex industry as prostitutes are exposed to inhumane and potentially fatal conditions, especially with the prevalence of HIV/AIDS. Additionally, some countries, including India, Nepal, and Ghana, have a form of human trafficking known as ritual (religion-based) slavery, in which young girls are provided as sexual slaves to atone for the sins of family members.

Forced labour has likely been around since shortly after the dawn of humankind, though there are a number of different forms of modern involuntary servitude that can go easily unnoticed by the general public. Debt bondage (also called peonage), is the enslavement of people for unpaid debts and is one of the most common forms of contemporary forced labour. Similarly, contract slavery uses false or deceptive contracts to justify or explain forced slavery. In the United States the majority of nonsex labourers are forced into domestic service, followed by agriculture, sweatshops, and restaurant and hotel work.

Children are often sold or sent to areas with the promise of a better life but instead encounter various forms of exploitation. Domestic servitude places "extra children" (children from excessively large families) into domestic service, often for extended periods of time. Other trafficked children are often forced to work in small-scale cottage industries, manufacturing operations, and the entertainment and sex industry. They are frequently required to work for excessive periods of time, under extremely hazardous working conditions, and for little or no wages. Sometimes they become "street children" and are used for prostitution, theft, begging, or the drug trade. Children are also sometimes trafficked into military service as soldiers and experience armed combat at very young ages.

Another recent and highly controversial occurrence involving human trafficking is the abduction or deception that results in the involuntary removal of bodily organs for transplant. For years there have been reports from China that human organs were harvested from executed prisoners without the consent of family members and sold to transplant recipients in various countries. There have also been reported incidents of the removal and transport of organs by medical and hospital employees. In addition, there have been claims that impoverished people sell organs such as kidneys for cash or collateral. Although there have been some allegations of trafficking of human fetuses for use in the cosmetics and drug industry, these reports have not been substantiated. In recent years the Internet has been used as a medium for the donors and recipients of organ trafficking, whether legal or not.

Legal response

Although the practice of trafficking humans is not new, concerted efforts specifically to curtail human trafficking did not emerge until the mid-1990s, when public awareness of the issue also emerged. The first step to eradicating this problem was to convince multiple stakeholders that human trafficking was a problem warranting government intervention. As antitrafficking rhetoric gained momentum, efforts to address human trafficking crossed ideological and political lines. Recognizing the inadequacy of then-existing laws, the U.S. Congress passed the first comprehensive federal legislation specifically addressing human trafficking, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA). The primary goal of the TVPA is to provide protection and assistance to trafficking victims, to encourage international response, and to provide assistance to foreign countries in drafting antitrafficking programs and legislation. The TVPA seeks to successfully combat human trafficking by employing a three-pronged strategy: prosecution, protection, and prevention. Many federal agencies are given the oversight of human trafficking, including the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and Labor and the U.S. Agency for International Development. The primary U.S. agency charged with monitoring human trafficking is the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (also called the trafficking office).

In addition to the U.S., many governmental entities throughout the world are actively engaged in the attempt to stop or at least slow the activity of trafficking in humans. In 2000 the UN established the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, which provided a commonly accepted working definition of human trafficking and called upon countries to promulgate laws to combat the practice, to assist victims, and to promote coordination and cooperation between countries.

The Office of Drugs and Crime is the UN arm that monitors and implements policies concerning human trafficking and is the designer of the Global Program Against Trafficking in Human Beings (GPAT). Another important international agency with responsibility in this area is Interpol, whose aims are to provide assistance to all national criminal justice agencies and to raise awareness of the issue. Other involved global organizations include the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Human trafficking is a highly structured and organized criminal activity. The criminal enterprises need to transport a large number of migrants over a substantial distance, have a well-organized plan to execute the various stages of the crime, and possess a substantial amount of money for such undertakings. Human traffickers have developed a multibillion-dollar industry by exploiting those forced or willing to migrate. For this reason, migrant trafficking is increasingly recognized as a form of organized crime. Trafficking networks may encompass anything from a few loosely associated freelance criminals to large organized criminal groups acting in concert.

Human trafficking is a lucrative criminal activity, touted as the third most profitable business for organized crime, after drugs and the arms trade, at an estimated $32 billion per year. In fact, narcotics trafficking and human trafficking are often intertwined, using the same actors and routes into a country. Migrant trafficking is one of the fastest-growing criminal enterprises. Traffickers resort to other illicit activities to legitimize their proceeds, such as laundering the money obtained not only from trafficking but also from forced labour, sex industries, and the drug trade. To protect their investment, traffickers use terroristic threats as a means of control over their victims and demonstrate power through the threat of deportation, the seizing of travel documentation, or violence against the migrants or their family members remaining in the origin country.

Prevention and control of human trafficking

Trafficking is a transnational crime that requires international cooperation, and the United States has taken a lead in promoting intercontinental cooperation. The TVPA provides assistance to foreign governments in facilitating the drafting of antitrafficking laws, the strengthening of investigations, and the prosecuting of offenders. Countries of origin, transit, and destination of trafficking victims are encouraged to adopt minimal antitrafficking standards. These minimal standards consist of prohibiting severe forms of trafficking, prescribing sanctions proportionate to the act, and making a concerted effort to combat organized trafficking.

Foreign governments are to make a sustained effort to cooperate with the international community, assist in the prosecution of traffickers, and protect victims of trafficking. If governments fail to meet the minimum standards or fail to make strides to do so, the United States may cease financial assistance beyond humanitarian and trade-related aid. Furthermore, these countries will face opposition from the United States in obtaining support from financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The U.S. Department of State annually reports antitrafficking efforts in the Trafficking in Persons Report on countries considered to have a significant trafficking problem.
Alese C. Wooditch Leonard A. Steverson

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Human trafficking | Definition, Tactics, Statistics, Types, Examples, & Facts

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Human trafficking, form of modern-day slavery involving the illegal transport of individuals by force or deception for the purpose of labor, sexual exploitation, or activities in which others benefit financially. Human trafficking is a global problem affecting people of all ages.