Human trafficking is the second largest globally organized crime that occurs without most people realizing that it is happening. It refers to the illegal trade of humans involving the act of recruiting, and movement of individuals from one nation to another for exploitation purposes. Most individuals get into the trade through flattery or compulsory means, promised employment with better pay while others through the abduction and transportation to desired destinations where they undergo exploitation and used against their will. The main purposes of human trafficking entails forced labor, sexual exploitation, organ transplant, production, and trade of drugs. Declaration of human trafficking as an international issue occurred after 1990 making nations point out that human trafficking is a crime. The United Nations general assembly in November 2000 adopted a convention against transnational organized crime; the convention had a mandate of preventing, reducing and punishing human traffickers (Territo, 87). Additionally, it prohibited human trafficking hence requiring all member states sign to the treaty, show commitment towards implementation of protocols that would ensure protection of men and women from trafficking (Liu, 13). Although this convention has achieved some of the objectives, human trafficking has been increasing on a daily basis. Human trafficking is on a high rise worldwide because involved people think that it is of low risk, offers cheap labor, entails high profits and that it encourages movement of individuals from over populated countries to other countries that have resources to sustain. People’s Republic of china is prone to some of these problems making it a destination to human trafficking. In this paper, I am going to discuss the issue of human trafficking in China. China is the source and origin of human trafficking as well as a transit and destination for the same. The paper will consider three main reasons that encourage China to participate in human trafficking on a high rate. These include believing that human trafficking provides cheap labor, due to forced marriages and for sexual exploitation purposes (Kyle, 45).
Background
There are spreading problems of human trafficking in the world, about 14500-17500 individuals mainly women and children go through the issue in a year. According to United Nations report on human trafficking, it estimated that 27 million individuals have been trafficked worldwide. According to the global report of trafficking of persons launched by the United Nations office on drugs and crime (UNODC), 79% of the world trafficking is sexual exploitation mainly affecting women and girls. The second most form of trafficking is forced labor, which accounts for 18%.
According to United Nations, global initiative to fight human trafficking (UN.GIFT) it is estimated that 2.5 million people are prone to forced labor dominating of people from Asia and pacific. More than 161 countries participate in the process. An estimate of 1.2 million children are trafficked annually, 95% of the victims get exposure to physical and sexual violence. Many people who migrate to other nations in search of green pastures are susceptible to trafficking due to their introduction towards cheap labor and forced labor. The United States government annual report on human trafficking has four stages including the tier1, tier2 and tier3 (Territo, 87).
China is on the tier3, which means that there have been efforts but people fail to meet the criteria and policies put in place hence recording no improvement compared to the previous years.
China has provided a good source, transit and destination of the victims of trafficking. This is so because it is a nation with high population forcing many men and women to leave the country in search of jobs and better life. Conducted research showed that around 6000 Chinese workers migrate yearly to other countries and a large percentage falls for a trap from agents who promise them employment and better pay in foreign countries. Later, they go through subjection to forced labor, sexual exploitation and prostitution. Reports indicate that well organized international syndicates and gangs in china play an important role in the human trafficking either internally or across the borders. Most of the workers who migrate in search of employment are low and medium skilled men and women. According to the Chinese ministry of public security as per January 2011, the number of females aged between 17 and 25 years who undergo subjection to human trafficking is increasing drastically. Children are also prone to illegal adoption especially in the poor rural areas. Media reports indicate that almost 20000 children undergo kidnap annually and trafficked for adoption by foreigners, where majority are at risk of forced labor and prostitution. The Chinese ministry of public security was able to arrest 310 suspects who had kidnapped 77 children adding to the 24000 women and children who were liberated (Hart, 123).
China provides transit for trafficked victims from either China or other nations heading to Thailand and Malaysia for sexual services, forced marriage, adoption and cheap labor. Most of the international cartels conducting human trafficking have accomplices in China. These networks of traffickers organize for the transportation and transfer of victims from either china or to China. They harbor the victims until taken to required destinations. Most agents recruit young women and girls with the false promise of getting well paying jobs in china manufacturing industries. They later realize that the jobs are not real forcing them into sexual exploitation and forced marriage (Hart, 123).
China provides good market for destination of individuals trafficked from neighboring nations, for example Burma, North Korea, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, Russia among others. These victims are normally destined to china to provide sexual services and cheap labor. Reports from organizations and experts indicate that the population policies of China, and the cultural practices that prefer sons, tend to influence trafficking of young women and children from other nations for forced marriages. According to the Chinese academy of social sciences as per 2020, there would be 24million more men compared to women in China, which is likely to increase the problem of human trafficking. Lack of employment in rural areas of china and the neighboring nations encouraged migration of individuals into urban areas in search for employment. This has also been accelerated by the fact that manufacturing industries in china are growing fast plus increase in the construction of industries in urban centers. This leads to massive movement of men and women to urban centers hence exposing them to traffickers thus increasing their chances of undergoing exploitation either sexually or in terms of labor. Reports have indicated that young girls of age 14 are trafficked from Burma into china for sex services and as wives to Chinese men, making the number of victims to be at least 7000 annually. Information from the Chinese ministry of public security has shown that cases of trafficking in the entertainment industry have risen to 50-60% and the age limit of the victims is between 16-20 years (Shelley, 73).
The Chinese government was placed on the tier3 watch list by the United States annual report on the trafficking of persons, this was simply because it did not comply fully with the act, and did not show significant ways of eliminate human trafficking and protection of victims. In 2010, China stepped up measures to counter trafficking and developed measures to reduce trafficking and criminal code that prohibits forced labor and puts strong penalties for the offenders found guilty. It has increased funds for the inspection of labor industry and trafficking cases. Despite these efforts made, china continues to lack a formal procedure to deal with the traffickers and identify victims (Shelley, 72).
Conclusion
Human trafficking is a crime and should be dealt with strongly, all countries should join links and develop policies that would protect individuals especially women, girls and children against trafficking. All individuals have rights and should have protection against all forms of injustices. A few individuals tarnish the future of young girls and boys with selfish interests forcing them to be slaves of their own interests.
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Liu, Min. Migration, Prostitution, and Human Trafficking: The Voice of Chinese Women. New
Brunswick, N.J: Transaction Publishers, 2011. Print.
Shelley, Louise I. Human Trafficking: A Global Perspective. Cambridge, [UK: Cambridge
Territo, Leonard, and George Kirkham. International Sex Trafficking of Women & Children:
Understanding the Global Epidemic. Flushing, NY: Looseleaf Law Publications, 2010. Print
