Introduction
Hundreds of years ago, a significant portion of the United States economy was highly dependent on slave labor. What is more interesting is the fact that these slaves were brought to this country via the slave trade. Natives from Africa were taken captive and then sold like cattle to plantation owners in the South. It is good thing that slavery was outlawed a long time ago. But in the 21st century unscrupulous men and women are still into the slave trade but this time it is called human trafficking. Since the United States of America is the most powerful nation in the world it must spearhead the drive to eradicate this new form of slavery within the U.S. and even outside its borders. It is only by being involved in a domestic as well as international effort in eliminating human trafficking will American citizens be totally free and secure from the clutches of human trafficking syndicates.
Background
The history of the United States is filled with revolutions and movements that were the direct result of a people yearning to be free. More than three hundred years ago Americans who were under the rule of a despotic British government could no longer endure the oppression and their inability to choose their own destinies. A war for American independence was fought bitterly in these lands and the ill-equipped and ill-prepared American army defeated the much vaunted military force of their English masters. From that point onwards the American colonies experienced the joy and blessing of self-rule.
But in less than a century after gaining independence from Britain, the American people was confronted with a difficult question and that is what to do with the Negro slaves that were toiling in the fields and treated less than human beings. It was in conflict with what was written in the U.S. constitution and an affront to the core values of this nation which is freedom and equality. It did not take long before the Civil War settled the issue of the African-American slaves. They were now assimilated to the American society and given the rights and privileges as citizens of the United States.
The story should have ended there and every trace of slavery should have been eradicated after the Emancipation Proclamation. But unfortunately slavery is not yet dead in this country. It has simply taken a new form and in the 21st century it is perpetuated through human trafficking or human smuggling. Since slavery is no longer allowed to exist in the U.S. and in the whole world the lucrative trade in human beings are being done underground and supported by various syndicates who make a profit at the expense of other people’s misery.
According to the Swiss Coordination Unit Against the Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (KSMM) there was an estimated 600,000 to 2.4 million victims of human trafficking worldwide (KSMM, 2007). In the United States it was estimated that that, “…14,500 to 17,500 people primarily women and children, are trafficked to the U.S. annually” (Academy for Educational Attainment, 2006). This is not supposed to happen in America and yet the U.S. government acknowledged the persistence of such illegal practices even within the U.S. mainland meaning American citizens are being trafficked within the country.
Understanding Human Trafficking
According to the UN Protocol to Prohibit, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, trafficking of human beings is defined as:
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 (Koser, 2007).
Even with the aforementioned generalized definition it is clear that it is merely scratching the surface in the attempt to fully understand human trafficking. Thus, it is important to consider at least five various conceptions of “trafficking/traffickers/trafficked” (Lee, 2007). These are listed as follows:
- Slavery;
- Prostitution;
- Organized Crime;
- Migration; and
- Human Rights.
The first thing that comes to mind when thinking about trafficking in persons is the idea of slavery. This is because people who are forced to do something against their will are nothing more than slaves. But the old forms of slavery no longer apply because this time slavery is no longer seen as the legal ownership of one human being or long term enslavement but by temporary ownership, debt bondage, forced labor and hyper-exploitative contractual agreements in the global economy (Lee, 2007). In some cultures children are forced to join armies and fight for the local warlord.
Aside from forcing people to do manual labor and other hazardous jobs, human trafficking is popularly understood in terms of prostitution. According to Lee, “The notion that trafficking is synonymous with the traffic of women for commercial exploitation can be traced back to public concerns about the ‘white slave trade’ of women and young girls into prostitution at the end of the nineteenth century” (2007).
In many parts of the world, it is difficult to understand human trafficking outside the context of organized crime. In the United Kingdom for instance, “…the government regards the problem of ‘illegal trade in people’ as primarily instigated by organized crime groups, to be dealt with under the rubric of its overall organized crime strategy…” (Lee, 2007). This is not hard to understand considering the complex planning required to move humans against their will, without the necessary travel documents, and the need to bypass checkpoints as well as evade law enforcement agencies. This type of operation will never succeed without the backing of organized crime.
Aside from slavery, prostitution and crime syndicates one way of understanding trafficking persons is through the perspective of migration. According to sociologists and criminologists that are working on migration research, irregular or forced migratory movements is the byproduct of “…economic crises, lack of sustainable livelihoods, political conflict, civil war, ethnic persecution, social inequalities, gender blind macroeconomics policies and wider processes of global social transformation (Lee, 2007). As a result people who are desperate to get out of their dire situation are forced to use irregular channels of smuggling and trafficking as it is their only means of escape (Lee, 2007). This is where unscrupulous men and women come in to exploit them.
Finally, trafficking can be understood from another perspective, the human rights perspective. This is something that can be easily understood by freedom loving people all over the world who are fortunate enough to live under democratic governments. But for those who are victims of human rights violations they are resigned to their fate and have no means to pursue their right to “…be free from slavery or servitude; right to freedom of movement; right to life, liberty, and security, right to health; and right to free choice of employment” (Lee, 2007). For those who are unaware of their rights or have no power to change their circumstances, they are easy prey for human traffickers.
From Where to Where?
According to KSMM, “Trafficking victims are usually women from Eastern and Sothern-Eastern Europe, the Baltic States, Brazil and Thailand who are exploited as prostitutes” (KSMM, 2007). But this is only limited to prostitution and mostly in Europe. In the case of the United States authorities pointed out that it is a source and destination country for trafficked men and women for the purpose of sexual and labor exploitation (U.S. Department of State, 2008). This is a serious social problem but the trafficking of persons coming from East Asia, and Eastern Europe is just the tip of the iceberg.
A significant number comes from Mexico and Central America where it is relatively easier to enter the U.S. mainland considering the distance between the U.S. and the aforementioned territories. In other countries human trafficking can be done using force or coercion but in the case of those coming from Mexico, the trafficking of persons can be done voluntarily” (Koser, 2007). Still it is considered as human trafficking because these people are being exploited by others. Aside from foreigners lured into fraudulent offers of employment only to end up as sex workers or involuntary servitude, there are also American citizens that are trafficked within the country for prostitution and to a lesser extent forced labor” (U.S. Department of State, 2008). If this can happen in American then one can only imagine how young men and women from Third World countries are under constant threat of being taken from homes only to end up as somebody else’s property.
The Process
Traffickers use force, fraud, and coercion to secure their victims. In poor countries parents are made to believe that they are sending their sons and daughters to work in a prosperous family or that their children are being employed in a prosperous business only to find out later on that they were victims of traffickers. In Latin America poor families will send their children to work on a plantation but then forced to stay for an indefinite period of time (USAID, 2008). In war torn countries human trafficking is the means to increase the strength of a weak military faction (USAID, 2008). In the United States the situation is not as desperate as those in Asia, Africa, and Latin America but it can still astound many to find out that human trafficking is a thriving business in America.
One of the most disturbing aspects of human trafficking in the U.S. involves school-age children. Children belonging to this age group are prime targets because of, “…their vulnerability and gullibility, as well as the market demand for young victims … the average age of entry into prostitution is 12 to 14 years old…” (U.S. Department of Education, 2008). Trafficking of school-age children is possible in a country like the United States because of the use of the following methods: 1) kidnapping; 2) solicitation by other women or girls recruiting on behalf of the sex trafficker; and 3) the “loverboy” approach of appearing genuinely interested in a romantic relationship while gradually coercing the victim into prostitution (U.S. Department of Education, 2008). Once children are lured into the sex trade they will never be able to get out of it without outside help.
Prevention
It is obvious that the primary responsibility of the U.S. government is to create a system that will prevent criminal organizations as well as corrupt individuals from trafficking persons. It is the government’s primary goal to stop the trafficking of U.S. citizens especially the school-age children that are abducted or coerced by traffickers for the purpose of working as prostitutes or as laborers. One way of doing it is to support a victim-centered approach that includes a national public awareness campaign and funding nongovernmental organizations that assist victims (U.S. Department of Education, 2008). A step into the right direction is the creation of the Trafficking in Persons and Worker Exploitation Task Force Complaint Line where interpreters can talk to the victims in their own language (USDOJ, 2008). But aside from raising awareness and providing help for victims, prevention can only be achieved if perpetrators of this type of crime are prosecuted and placed behind bars.
The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 is an important piece of legislation in the fight against trafficking. Through this law traffickers are not only punished if they are caught in the U.S. but their countries of origin will also feel the impact of punitive action when the U.S. government flexes its muscles. In the said legislation the U.S. government is determined to exert pressure against foreign countries unable to meet minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and this can be achieved by not providing nonhumanitarian, nontrade-related foreign assistance to those countries (U.S. Department of State, 2008).
Aside from punitive actions it is also important to create an environment where people are less vulnerable to the predatory tactics of traffickers. In this regard agencies such as the USAID are making great strides for the purpose of prevention and their programs do not only include awareness raising but also education, employment, and income generation. Based on the preceding discussion poverty is the common denominator why men, women and children are forced into this modern form of slavery. By addressing the root-cause of the problem one can expect to stem the tide against the human trafficking.
Conclusion
There is no need to elaborate with regards to the impact of human trafficking. A parent could never bear the thought of losing children in this manner. But the sad fact is human trafficking is a lucrative business and criminal organizations all over the world are exploiting the weaknesses inherent in some societies where people are vulnerable to force, coercion and violence. In war torn countries the rule of law is no longer in effect and therefore traffickers can move with impunity, kidnapping, coercing and forcing children and families to abide by their own rules.
The economic conditions in many Third World countries should be partially blamed for the upsurge of human trafficking and that if the United States will not do something to help these countries defeat the evils of poverty and illiteracy there is no way that the problem of human trafficking can be eradicated permanently. Helping victims of human trafficking is a noble approach but one can also say that rescuing men, women and children from the clutches of criminal organizations is just a step too late. The best way is prevention, that innocent lives will not be tainted by the painful memory of being forced to work in sweatshops or in the illegal sex trade.
What is more disgusting though is the realization that American citizens can be victims of trafficking. If the U.S. government is powerless to stop trafficking with America then it is useless to pursue violators outside the United States. It is imperative to stop trafficking in America but it can also be argued that the drive towards the eradication of trafficking should be done simultaneously. It is only through putting a stop to international trade in humans where the US government can effectively stop the flow of victims of human trafficking from entering America and deal a serous blow to organized crime.
References
- Academy for Educational Development (2006). “Report on Activities to Combat Human Trafficking.”
- Koser, K. (2007). International Immigration. New York: Oxford University Pres.
- Lee, M. (2007). Human Trafficking. Portland, Oregon: Willan Publishing.
- U.S. Department of Education. (2007). “Human Trafficking of Children in the United States: a Fact Sheet for Schools.
- U.S. Department of Justice. (2008). “Fight Trafficking in Person.”
- U.S. Department of State. (2008). “Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000.