Human Trafficking : Modern Day Slavery

Human trafficking is defined as a recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, of receipt of persons, by means of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, or abuse of power of a position of vulnerability for the purpose of exploitation (Human Trafficking Information). Today human trafficking, also known as modern-day slavery, has been one of the controversial issues in the United States and nationwide. In fact, it is now considered as the fastest growing multi-billion-dollar business form of organized crime. Also, Human trafficking is affecting the lives of millions around the globe and robbing the victims of their pride. As a matter of fact, Traffickers deceive men, women, and young children from around the world to force them into unspeakable

A major factor that plays into the extreme increase of human trafficking is globalization and an economic unbalance across nations. Inequality across countries has played a large factor in the expanding of human trafficking as an import and export business. Countries that are suffering from poverty are profiting greatly from the illegal industry of human trafficking

Human trafficking has been entwined into the structure of governments, arms trade, drug trade, and even spreads as far as terrorism. For many years it has been a fact that the money that has been made by selling other humans to the highest bidder. It is also known that the organized crime operations generate one of the most profitable resources to the organization. These organizations use this money for theirs or other’s crime and end up in the hands of drug lords. Drug lords, in order to promote their own business give money to support terrorist groups and activities. Security after September 11, 2001 has recognized human trafficking as a national and international security risk.

Trafficking in human beings is now the fastest-growing business of organized crime. Men, women and children are trafficked within their own countries and across international borders. More than one person is smuggled across a border every minute which is the equivalent to ten jumbo jets every single day. And the trade earns twice as much as the Coca Cola brand. (STOP THE TRAFFIK 2014)

Human Trafficking is also done by threatening or the use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim

Human Trafficking is “considered a form of modern slavery” involving the recruitment, transportation, transfer and/or harboring the receipt of a person by either the means of force or coercion that is affecting thousands of men, women and children per year both abroad and locally. This is a crime in violation of human rights (“Human Trafficking/What is Human Trafficking”, 2015). Human trafficking is an umbrella term that is not quite defined and/or recognized by law.

Since trafficking is a very lucrative business, poorer nations allow it to happen to support their armies and their pleasures.

Human Trafficking, also referred to as modern-day slave trade, has been defined by the United Nations Palermo Protocol as, “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons, by means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of abuse of power or of position of vulnerability or of the giving and receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs

Labor trafficking frequently promises a person the ideal of a better life and the person is lied to about the working conditions. They are forced into bonded labor, servitude, or child labor. In the sex trafficking industry people are forced either by manipulation or brute force and are sold at auctions. To many this is extremly psychologically damaging. Victims become addicted to drugs as a coping mechanism. Child trafficking is almost always forced. It is very common to be forced into begging. They are forced by a third party and even sometimes by a family member. Organ trafficking is a crime in itself. Many people are forced and lied to and give up their organs. There are others that are being treated for one thing and have their organs stolen from them. Men, women, and children alike are being exploited. (Lee, M.,

The Sex Trade is “the exploitation of women, men and children, within national or across international borders, for the purposes of forced sex. Sex trade, or also known as Human trafficking violates the Human Rights that people are born with; especially the right not to be submitted to slavery, servitude, or forced labor (Napolitano, 2016, p.1). Human trafficking is a horrific international crime that does not discriminate because the victims can be of any ethnicity, age or gender, however, most of the victims are women. Most of the poorest and most unstable countries have the highest incidences of human trafficking.

Opening Statement The crisis of human trafficking has been an issue for centuries, what is the root of the problem? Why is this atonable crime still an issue in 2015? Exercise of human trafficking is stimulated by the absence of economic advantage, opportunity in the work force, and gender discrimination. As Shelley says in her article, "Human Trafficking as Transnational Organized Crime," there are both push and pull factors that stimulate the result of human trafficking.

Human trafficking, also known as modern day slavery is one of the most profitable organized crimes in the world. As indicated by Farr (2005), human trafficking is the third largest organized crime industry. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes estimate that profits from human trafficking is $32 billion every year. From that figure a little over $15 billion is made in more economically developed countries. Some researchers agree, however, that human trafficking will soon be more profitable than drug and weapons trafficking (Bales, 2014). The use of drugs and weapons have a set utilization, while people can be sold several times, the profits made from trafficking someone can grow over time depending on how many times a person is sold. Modern day slavery is one the most worst crimes known to society. However, it is not just a 21st-century concern. The mass transportation of individuals from Africa to the Americas during the eighteenth century, has a strong history in the United States (Bales, 2005; Gozdziak and Collett, 2005).

Human trafficking of U.S. citizens and foreign nations persist and thrive for various reasons, one is the low risk involved. This is when the community is unaware of this issue, when the government/community institutions aren’t properly trained to respond, and the biggest reason yet is when law enforcement does not investigate and prosecute the crime, human traffickers perceive little risk or deterrence to affect their criminal operations. The next reason why human trafficking is so successful is because the high profits; when individuals are willing to buy commercial sex, they create a market and make it profitable for the traffickers to sexually exploit children and adults. (“Why”)

If one is to take a look at this where we put the price paid by a customer at approximately at $200,000 and multiply by it by the very conservative estimate of 15,000 transactions this puts the annual revenue of traffickers at over $2billion. With a business as lucrative as this, it is quite clear why this industry continues to grow rapidly as an infrastructure of international gangs profiting off the desperations of others is already in place (Ginzel, Arndt, Kraushaar, & Winter, 2012).

Sex -trafficking has not dissipated over time; it is a growing, adaptive market that is prevalent across the world. We are not talking about an industry that sells depleting commodities. Sex trafficking is a giant market that profits on human slavery. It is paramount that this issue be moved nearer to the forefront of global consciousness, in light of violations of basic human rights and losses of autonomy.