It is sickening that still there are some forms of slavery. It is the twenty-first century, and alarming issues have concerning slavery should not be happening. Slavery was a normal and common practice in the past. However, hearing about it in the present is absurd. Recent studies indicate that almost thirty million enslaved worldwide. Romania tops the list for the third consecutive year. This is worrying; therefore, Romania’s key stakeholders and the government must do a lot in an attempting to reduce human trafficking.
Contemporary slavery in Romania happens in the form of human trafficking. Human traffickers exploit victims in a number of ways including sexual harassment, forced begging and forced labor (Nicola et al. 219). Deceived men, women and children find themselves cornered in slavery without their knowledge hence the importance instituting stringent measures to stop these inhuman acts. According to U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons report, Romanian men, women and children are trafficked both within the country and outside the country. In the hands of the oppressors, they find themselves in forced commercial sex, forced labor and forced begging. This is alarming for the Romanian citizens because they are unsure with the job offers available in their country. As far as human rights are involved, efforts should be pooled together to ensure citizens are enjoying their human rights. There should be numerous efforts from both the Romanian government and other key stakeholders to curb the problem. In such a century, everybody should respect human rights in any form as he or she affect both the victims and the country’s reputation negatively.
Concrete Solutions That Will Help To Solve the Human Trafficking In Romania
- What the Romanian Government Should Do
The government should train the public on human trafficking red flags. The government should take the initiative of teaching the public about human trafficking signs and the effective follow-up procedures (Kara 89). Human trafficking awareness training will help discover such acts at the root level where they are happening. It will have the effect of scaring traffickers away because they know they are under the searchlight.
The government should criminalize human trafficking. Human trafficking is a form of human right infringement. Traffickers deprive innocent citizens of their rights. It happens in the form of forced labor, sexual harassment and forced begging. The act is similar to rape cases, which are criminal offenses. Stringent law enforcement amounting to abnormal penalties is necessary to warn the human traffickers (Kara 78). It is an advisable move since human traffickers will be scared away.
The administration should support anti-trafficking organizations. Anti-trafficking organizations assist the government in fighting modern slavery. To remain valid and relevant, such organization should receive a considerable governmental support (US Department of State, n.d). This can be in the form of financial resources and trainings. By so doing, formation of strong anti-slavery groups will result. The result will be reduced human trafficking activities.
Stakeholders can set up easily accessible Google alerts. They can instate Google alarms that have a connection to all security agencies in the country. In case a human trafficking activity is noted, there will be lesser efforts in terms of bringing the issue to the security agencies. Such alarms will enable quick action hence saving victims as early as possible.
Strong inter-departmental ministerial group on human trafficking can help prevent the vice. The Romania government should ensure that this ministry is capable and composed of skillful individuals with the necessary expertise on human trafficking. The group is entitled to carry out assessments of trends inhuman trafficking, gathering statistics, measuring anti-trafficking actions and reporting to the public on a regular basis. A strong ministry will direct its efforts towards curbing the modern slavery problem.
Lastly, the government should ensure that its security agencies are effective and well trained on how to deal with human traffickers. Security agencies, like police and armies, are responsible for the country’s security issues. Modern slavery in the form of human trafficking is an insecurity issue. Well-versed security agencies with knowledge regarding modern slavery can apply it in an attempt to stop it. Quality security agencies will reduce human trafficking activities throughout the country.
- What Romania’s Key Stakeholders Should Do
Non-governmental organizations engage in employment processes. It is their duty to ensure that their supply chains contain no element of human trafficking. They should incorporate human trafficking information in their professional association’s trainings, manuals, conferences and other relevant materials (US Department of State). Employees should be aware of the disadvantages of human trafficking.
Members of the public must start grass root anti-trafficking coalitions. The truth is that human trafficking affects members of the public. Citizens of Romania should form anti-trafficking coalitions aimed at warning off human traffickers. Moreover, it will offer citizens an excellent opportunity to learn human trafficking red flags and their reporting.
In learning institutions, modern slavery in the form of human trafficking affects children as well. Human trafficking information should be included in the education system right from lower class levels to universities. They should have information on the potential adverse effects associated with the act. Upon reaching adulthood, they would have developed negative attitudes towards this kind of slavery. Many who could otherwise be human traffickers will deviate from such acts.
For medical providers (Mental health providers), human trafficking is real in Romania. It happens on a regular basis. Victims end up with long lasting psychological problems and other health complications. Mental health providers should offer free or subsidized health services to victims assisted by nearby anti-trafficking institutions (Chuang, 2006). It will help victims in quick recovery, which is an advantage to their well-being.
For the intergovernmental organizations, member states of IGOs should put considerable efforts in addressing modern slavery and human trafficking. Human trafficking in Romania happens both within and without the country. It affects more than Romania alone. If IGOs direct their efforts towards educating and warning their country citizens against slavery, they will help in stopping this inhuman act. They should pool their efforts together and come up with long lasting solutions to human trafficking. A good example is authorizing legal actions against member states’ citizens in any country as long as it is a member state.
According to the aforementioned facts, human trafficking in Romania has raised concerns recently. For the third consecutive year, it ranked as the leading country in UK with the highest modern slavery activities. Human trafficking is ever rising. Hence, stringent measures are necessary to curb this occurrence. For it to complete termination, pooled efforts are required from both the government and other key stakeholders (Chuang 116). If the above solutions are put to practice, the act will be healed and might seize existing if the near future.
Works Cited
Di Nicola, Andrea, et al. "Prostitution and Human Trafficking." Focus On Clients (2009).
US Department of State. 20 Ways You Can Help Fight Human Trafficking (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.state.gov/j/tip/id/help/
Chuang, Janie. "Beyond A Snapshot: Preventing Human Trafficking In The Global Economy." Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies 13.1 (2006): 137-163.
Kara, Shashi Irani. "Decentralizing the Fight against Human Trafficking In the United States: The Need for Greater Involvement in Fighting Human Trafficking By State Agencies and Local Non-Governmental Organizations." Cardozo JL & Gender 13 (2006): 657.
