Human Trafficking: Modern Slavery Still Exist

Even in 2022 human trafficking is still the worst reality. Men, women and children all over the world are trafficked and exploited in the worst forms of harassment. 

Around 6000,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked each year across the borders to get forced into illegal occupations and labour.

The United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) provides threatening statistics for the trafficking victims.

It shows that 51% of total trafficked victims are women, 28% are children and 21% are men.

It further reports that 63% of people who are identified as traffickers are men while 37% are women.

An estimated 5.4 out of every 1000 people are enslaved in the world.

This criminal industry is generating 150 billion dollars each year with its illegal activities.

For more information, you can check out a21’s official website.

Major reasons for the people that make them an easy target for the traffickers are their poverty, will to support their family, improve their lives or avoid discrimination.

Trafficking and slavery are taking place in every country.

Victims around the world are trapped in human trafficking or modern slavery due to many hardships back in their native places or to achieving something better in life in new places. Some are fleeing from the war zones while others might want to ease their financial burden. 

Victims including innocent children are found working in illegal activities like construction, mining, agriculture, cannabis farms and even in the worst sex industry. These victims are lured and trafficked mostly from areas of low income like Africa, South East Asia or Eastern Europe and their drudgery and exploitation start en route.

Also Read: Long-intertwined: Fashion and Modern Slavery

Poverty and vulnerability is the major cause behind the thriving industry of forced labour and trafficking. Victims often have memories of sexual abuse, drug addiction, bad relationships, and trauma.

Human trafficking can be seen in many forms with one common factor that is abuse and the vulnerable condition of victims.

Forced labour

Victims from developing countries are majorly trafficked with coercion or deception and are forced to engage in labour intensive and illegal activities like agriculture, mining, construction and domestic servitude. They work even without any pay and face inhuman treatment and conduct dangerous tasks.

Also Read: Dark Life of Child Labour Behind the Shinning Mica

Trafficking for Criminal Activities

Criminal gangs and networks use trafficked people to perform illegal and criminal activities to get huge profits. They are forced to perform theft, drug peddling, begging, selling counterfeit products, and likewise. They have been punished severely if they try to escape or behave contrary to the wishes of criminals.

Sexual Exploitation

Women and children all over the world face this cruel reality. They are being exploited by false promises to get a better job, and a better future at some other better place. They are often transported to the destination with counterfeit documents and get into the sexual racket with endless trauma and exploitation.

Organs Trading

An ageing population with an increased rate of diabetes have promoted the demand for organ transplantation. This desperation to pay higher for the organs and long queues for organ transplantation need motivate the criminals to illegally provide the organs to the poor and vulnerable people. Many times such operations for organ transplantation are being conducted in clandestine conditions and often poor donors do not get any medical follow up and can even lose their life.

Source: a21.org

Maria, a young girl who has escaped from the sex racket and is now free and testify in court against her traffickers.

Source: a21.org

Ong has been forced into begging since he was born. He is now free and with his loving family.

We don’t know the true numbers of people being trafficked but we know that the problem is getting bigger with each passing day. Every place is affected by trafficking whether it is a source country, destination or transit country. 

With each number, a life is being destroyed.

To stop this menace, raising awareness and generating political will against human trafficking are the most crucial steps. 

The United Nations Organisation reveals that one of the most important impediments to the eradication of trafficking is a lack of understanding among people about the issue. Most people confused trafficking with issues of immigration, smuggling, asylum, prostitution and other grave crimes. But tracking is putting extreme and illegal pressure on an individual to forcefully do something by those who are in power to use coercive means. 

Also Read: Slavery in the 21st Century

International efforts have been established in this regard as the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, which developed a victim-centred strategy for human trafficking. It has been signed by 177 countries until now. Another action was taken by the Council of Europe bypassing the Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. It aims to promote greater cooperation and dedication within Europe against human trafficking. But more needs to be done not only by the international organisations and governments but at the community level. The United Nations firmly believe that trafficking starts at the community level and can be ended only at the community level.

Raise awareness and give recognition to the complexity of the crime. People need to know about the signs and ways to recognise and stop human trafficking and modern slavery at every level of society.

How to Stop Human Trafficking

Awareness is more important for young people as more than half of the trafficking victims are under the age of 18 years.

Incorporate anti-trafficking strategies in each policy area. 

Educate women about trafficking so that they do not get trapped by traffickers.

Police need to be alert and the administration can make sure that police do not get influenced by bribery.

Victims of trafficking often show some signs that can help to recognise them.

Key Takeaways

We need to stop this trade of human beings with consistent vigilance and efforts from the community to the administrative level. Forced marriage, forced organ removal, and forced labour are the worst human violations. Human trafficking may begin at some local place but it undermines global peace and prosperity and global development.