Introduction
Human trafficking is the trade of persons, usually for sexual exploitation and slavery, for forced labor or for commercial use for the financial gain of the trafficker (UNIDC, 2011). Almost every country in the world is affected by this crime. The most common form of human trafficking is the sexual exploitation of women. The other forms are forced labor and slavery-like servitude and organ removal. Almost 8 out of 10 of the victims of human trafficking are women and children sold as sex slaves (UNODC, 2016). Human trafficking can be conducted by an individual with a few victims, or by an organized crime group transporting their victims across geographical boundaries to more affluent countries where the demand for these workers is great. The income generated by human traffickers around the world is estimated to be around $8 – 9 billion dollars annually (UNODC, 2016). The thesis of this short paper is that human trafficking remains prevalent because of poverty and the presence of civil unrest or oppression in the areas where the victims come from. The succeeding portions of this paper will explore in full these reasons.
Discussion
Poverty and the lack of opportunity is perhaps the greatest reason why human trafficking still occurs today. People who are poor and desperate decided to seek better economic opportunities, and they are commonly found in the areas or regions. The main origins of the victims of human trafficking are Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. These nations have substantial populations living below their respective poverty lines. The destinations are the more affluent regions of the world such as North America and Western Europe. The victims, in their fervent desire to obtain better economic opportunities for themselves and their families, escape their difficult lives, and thus are exploited by the traffickers. In many areas where the victims come from, the traffickers woo their victims with false promises of wealth. It is these individuals who live and suffer in poverty that are preyed upon by the traffickers. The victims can either be sold to new traffickers, or end up in circumstances where they become sex slaves, or are forced to work in horrible conditions with little or no pay (Wright, 2015). One report of Danish authorities apprehending a couple who were common-law partners recruiting women from Eastern Europe and forcing them into prostitution in Denmark. In Australia, several women from various points in Southeast Asia were brought into that country and forced into prostitution. The women were allegedly recruited to be domestic workers in Australia, but were immediately brought to brothels in Australia whose owners were contacts of the human trafficker (Vijeyrasa, 2016).
In some instances, civil unrest exacerbates the problem of poverty such that individuals become victims of trafficking. The long periods of civil unrest in Colombia have resulted in a substantial number of displaced citizens. The desperation of being displaced has led many to become victims of exploitation and trafficking. Many rebel and guerilla groups attract children and minors to join their ranks with the promise of the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. One will find the presence of numerous children and minors as soldiers in Iraq and Colombia (Hepburn and Simon, 2013). Increases in trafficking rates in Iraq were noted with the increased activity of ISIS. Iraqi refugees in Syria were at the most risk for forced sex labor, forced child begging and exploited labor (Human Trafficking Center, 2016).
There are instances wherein poverty and civil unrest create desperate situations for people such that they become willing victims of exploitation and trafficking. They desire to leave their current environs and circumstances, and thus readily agree to any covenant with a trafficker who makes empty promises. They simply wish to leave their current locations in order to escape the difficult social, economic and political situation they find themselves in.
Conclusion
The problem of human trafficking affects many countries around the world. Some countries are destinations, while others are the origins. More often than not, the victims of trafficking are unaware of their fates and are forced to work as sex slaves or as exploited laborers, or as child beggars in places that are far away from their homes. These victims are separated from the families, and sometimes they themselves have been sold to the human traffickers by their own relatives. Poverty is cited as the main reason for trafficking. Without anything to eat, people are willing to agree to just about anything in order to earn a living. Those also who find themselves living in places where there is political instability, civil unrest or conflict are also oftentimes exploited by the traffickers. The situation becomes very difficult because it is common for victims to be impoverished and trapped in civil unrest such that they are desperate and cling to whatever is offered to them in order to escape their current situation. Countries should be vigilant and must arrest the traffickers while allowing the victims to lead new lives in the countries they have found themselves to be in. The fight against poverty and putting an end to civil unrest and conflict will go a long way in making human trafficking a thing of the past. In addition to these steps, arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating those responsible for these criminal acts will help deter others from committing the same crimes.
References
Hepburn, S. and Simon, R. (2013). Human Trafficking Around the World: Hidden in Plain Sight. NY: Columbia University Press.
Human Trafficking Center. (2016). ISIS: One of Many Contributors to Trafficking in Syria and Iraq. Retrieved from: http://humantraffickingcenter.org/posts-by-htc-associates/isis-one-many-contributors-trafficking-syria-iraq/
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2011). UNODC on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling. Retrieved 05 April 2016 from: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2016). UNODC Report on Human Trafficking Exposes Modern Form of Slavery. Retrieved from: http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/global-report-on-trafficking-in-persons.html
Vijeyrasa, R. (2016). Sex, Slavery and the Trafficked Woman: Myths and Misconceptions about Trafficking and its Victims. NY: Routledge.
Wright, E. (2015). Poverty and Its Contribution to Human Trafficking. Retrieved from: http://borgenproject.org/poverty-contribution-human-trafficking/
