The True Commencement of Human Trafficking - Case Study Example

Human trafficking Human trafficking is the illegal movement of individuals for purposes of sexual exploitation or forced labor. Some of the stages of trafficking; recruitment at the village level, recruits taken to designated location, changing to a central location before moving to their destination and last transaction at brothel or sale point. Human trafficking is important since it helps economies to develop and also adds diversity to the population. Human trafficking has thrived licentiously on corruption since human traffickers used links with state officials, business persons, politicians, customs officials, police as well as border police to embolden human trafficking. Human trafficking is an important issue to discuss since most governments have not been serious with the vice. There are many arguments that have been put forward to attempt to explain how human trafficking started. There are some sources that claim that slave trade started when Africans were being captured by slave traders and would be shipped across Atlantic Ocean to America. Some consider the forced labor of children in 1700s was the true commencement of human trafficking. There was also white slavery that some individuals consider it to be the first legally recognized form of human trafficking. Complexities of the phenomenon, as well as opposing views about prostitution, have resulted in many controversial debates on human trafficking. The origin of human trafficking debates started towards the end of the nineteenth century during that time “white slavery” resulted in public outrage and was a key priority for international organizations. “White slavery” is the abduction as well as transportation of white women for purposes of prostitution (Masika 22, and Pliley 181). White slaves were women and girls who were unsuspectingly ensnared into prostitution through being seduced or raped when drunk or drugged, whence they were “enslaved” in whore houses. This problem was addressed through the formulation of regulations that stopped human trafficking. Human trafficking is a concern that plagues our society. Human trafficking is a great threat to state security and source of insecurity to the vulnerable and affected communities and individuals (Beeks and Amir xv, and Quayson and Arhin 5). For states, human trafficking is a key challenge to their legitimacy, authority, as well as control over sovereign territory as well as state borders. Human trafficking thrives profligately on corruption since human traffickers use links with state officials, business persons, politicians, customs officials, police as well as border police to embolden human trafficking. According to IOM, human trafficking activities generate US$8 billion or even more annually (Barthwal-Datta, 28). Terrorist organizations use these funds to create political instability for governments by channeling these funds into activities that are against the state. Victims of human trafficking experience gross abuse of their human rights. Each stage of human trafficking can entail physical, psychological and sexual abuse, violence, torture and deprivation, forced use of substances, economic exploitation as well as poor working and living standards. Individuals who are trafficked end up doing work in atrocious health and safety conditions that have little or some have no access to health care or medical assistance. These victims also get derisory food that ultimately leads to them be ravenous or malnourished. These victims are stripped any official documents that they use as identification, for instance, national identity card or passports. They devote most of the time working and get meager pay not commensurate with the exertion. Most of these youngsters traded for commercial sexual misuse as well as other forms of forced labor experience considerable obstacle precincts to their mental and physical development. Trafficked progenies especially those in debt bondage, lack access to education. Their experience leave the trafficked children traumatized for a long time or even for life, subsequently this profoundly shapes their psyche and lessens their prospects of having a social life that is functional when they grow up (Barthwal-Datta, 72). On a daily basis, women are trafficked into the United States through the Canada, Florida, and Mexico as well as other small entry points with the sole aim of prostitution (Picarelli, 154). These terrorist groups not only get financial gains from human trafficking but also align themselves with trafficking organizations so that they can gain entry into the United States. Victims trafficked with the aim of being used as prostitutes can also be used to help in terrorist activities. The Al Qaeda terror network has been fruitful in developing terrorist cells in the United States and the terror gang is known to use prostitution, human trafficking among other illicit activities so that they can fund their activities (Horgan and Braddock, 178). What can stop the Al Qaeda from using the prostitutes or one closely related to their sex activities to aid in carrying out attacks on the US borders? This is very frightening since it complicates the fight against terrorism since they can easily identify the person who is carrying the terrorist attacks. It also complicates the issues since it is believed that people with the Arab origin are the one know for conducting such terror attacks. Nonetheless, the United States has considered the possibility. The best action that the United States can take is to cut off the funding terrorists get from prostitution activities. It is important to take instant action toward human traffickers immediately since most of the individuals who are trafficked experience tough living condition when they are in the hand of their captors. Some of them are young girls and women who experience sexual abuse when they are under their captors, and this causes trauma to the victims. Victims of human trafficking work under poor conditions and they do not pay commensurate with their input. Most of them are denied freedom of expression and also denied access to some basic human rights, for instance, most of them lose their visa and work permit to their employers who want to make them their slaves and this greatly affects their movement and hence they remain at one point and cannot even get back to their home country (Roth 39). Human trafficking results in movement of people from one point to another in search of job opportunities hence when many people move from one country to another it results in a lot of labor in the host country while the country of origin has few employees. This mass movement results in poor working condition in the host country since there will be many people struggling for limited jobs hence this results in poor working conditions in the country. When many people move from one country to another it results in diminished culture and tradition of a country since the many people entering the country from different background results in the change in the way the culture of the country. For instance, American has many cases of immigrants and human trafficking. These individuals who are trafficked come from various parts of the world and meet at a particular place. Eventually, the culture of the place will be diluted as a result of the many victims of human trafficking as well as immigrants. Human trafficking is a strong aspect of negative globalization. There need to be regulations that govern the movement of people from one place or country to another. Human trafficking has become rooted in most countries, and it continues in most countries in the world. Recently, there are many labor agencies firms all over that recruit young men and women to work in overseas especially Middle East countries. These immigrant workers get mistreated upon arriving at their destination. To help control this each country needs to have dedicated government department that will oversee immigrant’s affairs and ensure that they get the best in their new country. These departments need to ensure that they partner with the police and ensure that police officers are educated on most of the issues that touch human trafficking, for instance, prosecution process as well as furnishing police officers with information when they are prosecuting suspected human traffickers. Governments need to tighten their porous borders to avoid the entrance of illegal immigrants. Governments need to ensure that their immigrations officials are not corrupt since corrupt immigration officials enhance illegal immigration. Governments need to institute harsher punishment for traffickers, and this will entail developing regulations that ensure human traffickers shun the vice. These punishment needs to involve death sentence and life imprisonment. Since most human trafficking victims work in companies, they need to ensure that companies present authentic documents about workers. Considering that human trafficking is an international issue countries need to have international human trafficking police. The international human trafficking police will be instrumental in tracking the activities of human traffickers so that their activities can be stopped, and then they get prosecuted. Bahrain is a destination for men and women subjected to trafficking in persons especially forced prostitution and forced labor. Men and women from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Philippines and Thailand immigrate voluntarily to Bahrain so that they can work as unskilled workers or domestic workers in the service and construction industry (n,a 73; Kalami 62; CIA n.p). It is important to note that some of them experience conditions of forced labor upon arriving Bahrain through institution of unlawful practices, for instance, restricted movement, withholding passports, non-payment of wages, sexual and physical abuse, and threats. According to Bahrain Government’s Labour-Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) 65% of immigrant workers do not have an employment contract and 89% do not know their employment terms. Most of the labor recruiting agencies in Bahrain as well as source countries needs workers to pay high recruitment fees – this makes workers vulnerable to forced labor when they are in Bahrain. Some of the Bahrain employers do illegally charge workers exorbitant fees so that they can remain in Bahrain to work for third-party employers (n,a 74). Interestingly, the Bahrain government does not comply fully with the set minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; nonetheless it is attempting to make significant efforts to do so. The government lacks formal procedures that can help it identify victims from vulnerable groups, for instance, migrant domestic workers that have left their women or employees arrested for prostitution. Consequently, potential trafficking victims can be charged with immigration or employment violations, detained and then deported without protection. Migrants who manage to flee abusive employers are always charged as “runaways,” they are then detained for two weeks and then deported. The government is very reluctant to ensure that the victims get access to vital protective services, apart from a small number referred to the government’s primary shelter. The 120-bed government-funded, non-governmental organization run Dar Al Aman shelter offered shelter to a handful of trafficking victims. Most of the victims continue to seek shelter in their embassies or at Migrant Workers Protection Society’s shelter. Noteworthy, Dar Al Aman shelter never advertises that gives shelter to trafficking victims, and most of them are very unfamiliar with the process for referring victims of human trafficking and labor abuse. As mentioned before, the government of Bahrain has made limited efforts in stopping human trafficking. The Bahrain’s Ministry of Labour has made a pledge to stop the sponsorship (kafala) system. The Bahrain government enforced the reforms in 2009 that designated LMRA to be the lead agency for giving foreign workers work permit, as well as enhancing labor mobility for the expatriate workers, under particular conditions. The reforms do not the 70,000 domestic workers in Bahrain who is very vulnerable to trafficking. The country’s parliament upper house approved labor laws; nonetheless, it does not give primary protection to the domestic workers – this group is very vulnerable to human trafficking. Additionally, the law prohibiting withholding workers’ passports – a rampant practice restricting the movement of immigrant workers and enhances forced labor – has not been effectively enforced, and the practice continues to be rampant. LMRA continues to distribute pamphlets that gave information on how one can legally acquire, maintain and switch work visa and gave contact details where suspected labor violations can be reported. LMRA sponsored a Hindi radio show aimed at raising awareness of workers’ rights. The government has shut down many low-end hotels linked with organized prostitution. Human trafficking refers to the illegal movement of people from one place to another for purposes of sexual abuse or labor. Human trafficking is in its current situation since there having been several legislations in most countries that have been developed to stop it. Human traffickers have also changed the tactics they use, and this has helped to ensure that human trafficking thrives. Human trafficking has evolved, and there are novel tactics used by traffickers and it is becoming hard to solve the issue. The issue has been complicated by the many porous borders in many states and poor enforcement of the law by police officers. International human trafficking police officers can be instrumental in ensuring that this problem is addressed once and for all. Works Cited Barthwal-Datta, Michael.Understanding security practices in South Asia: Securitization theory and the role of non-state actors. New York: Routledge. 2012. Print. Beeks, Karen & Amir, Delila.Trafficking and the global sex industry.Lanham: Lexington Books. 2006. Print. CIA,The CIA world factbook 2015.New York:Skyhorse Publishing. 2014. Print. Horgan, & Braddock.Terrorism studies: A reader. New York: Routledge. 2013. Print. Kalami, Mehr. Slavery continues: Hope of breaking the chains. Bloomington:iUniverse. 2014. Print. Masika, Rachel.Gender, trafficking and slavery. London: Oxfam. 2003. Print. n.a.Trafficking in persons report. Washington: Diane Publishing. 2010. Print. Picarelli, J. Fostering imagination in fighting trafficking: Comparing strategies and policies to fight sex trafficking in the U.S and Sweden. New York: DIANE Publishing. 2010. Print. Pliley, Jessica.Policing sexuality: The Mann Act and the making of the FBI.Harvard: Harvard University Press. 2014. Print. Quayson, Ato&Arhin, Antonela.Labour migration, human trafficking and multinational corporations: The commodification of illicit flows.New York: Routledge. 2013. Print. Roth, Venla.Defining human trafficking and identifying its victims: A study on the the Impact and Future Challenges of International, European and Finnish Legal Responses to Prostitution-Related Trafficking in Human Beings. London: MartinusNijhoff Publishers, 2011. Print. Read More