Slavery Instead of the Promised Wonderful Life - Research Paper Example

Human Trafficking Nature of the Crime Human trafficking is an organised crime where mostly women and children are transported to foreign countries for cheap labour and services. These human beings are then used as bonded labourers and for commercial sex. This trade is on the rise since the last 15years there are almost 1 million people being transported by illegal operators in the international circuit. 80% of the people trafficked are women and children. Theses unfortunate victims are at the mercy of their captors with no control or rights over their lives. They are most often kept under inhuman circumstances under extreme conditions that most of the children usually do not survive until adulthood. Victims of Human Trafficking This illegal activity has taken on grand scales and is now excellent money making racket on a global scale. Promises of better life and luxury in another country invariably become an irresistible temptation. The methods used for trafficking and the numbers being trafficked are vague and at best a rough estimate. The people involved are even more difficult to identify with the victims refusing to act as witnesses even after being through the ordeal. The migrants who fall into the trap are not only the economically under privileged but are political refugees as well. The lucky ones who reach the destination turn out not so privileged when they are exploited and abused in a world controlled by the illegal mafia who run and control the human trafficking business. Victims are usually women in search of jobs in other countries are the main targets of human trafficking. The people involved could be anyone from friends to relatives trying to exploit their need for financial gain with promises of lucrative jobs in other developed countries. One of the most common form if sexual exploitation and there are psychological and financial reasons for this ghastly act. The victims are usually from the third world countries and get carried away with the promises of better life; they often get to know the reality only on reaching the intended destination. These Human trafficking is now the most financially profitable organised crime with instant and easy revenue second next to only drug trafficking and illegal arms trading. The victims are usually lured by jobs of waitresses, beauticians, dancers, housemaids etc. Once in the trap it becomes difficult to distinguish between entertainment and prostitution especially if the woman has been abducted. Social circumstances like poverty, unemployment and poor economic conditions have contributed towards this illegal trade. Control of Victims The traffickers control them using intimidation, fear factor and even physical force when required. The illegal nature of the trade makes it difficult to point out the victims as they are usually under cover and are unaware of the law and rights under the circumstances. They finally suffer from identity crises as they become totally dependant on their keepers for all contact and connection with the outside world. They victims live under constant threat and under bad conditions that most of the children suffer psychological problems late into adulthood. In extreme cases they are sometimes kept in chains for an entire lifetime without even knowing they are being taken advantage of. Most of them end up as domestic help, prostitutes or as entertainers in the sexual trade, unpaid or bonded labour, begging, illegal adoption and even for criminal activities. In some cases they even end up as child soldiers in rogue outfits or even used for terrorism. In almost all cases, the trafficker confiscates the victims travel documents, watches her every move, and uses debt bondage to forcefully control her life. The victim fears escape as she would have to suffer the consequences along with the family at times. “All human trafficking involves someone being forced through violence or the threat of violence or coerced through fraudulent representation.” ( Luke Armstrong, http://internationalaffairs.suite101.com/article.cfm/current_human_trafficking_crisis) Awareness of the Crime  This trade has become global and is on the rise due to the monetary and financial profits linked with it. The worst part is that sometimes it is the parents who sell the children for financial aid and these children are then sexually exploited by others who stand to gain by the inhuman act using vulnerable children. This heinous crimes usually goes unnoticed due to the under cover nature of the crime. The demand for women and children has fuelled this crime along with the fact that law has not been able to control the rise in human trafficking in today’s world. Human trafficking is rampant in Southeast Asia and is also prominently present in the West. The laws controlling immigration add to the victims in the trafficking routes as they encourage the illegal immigrants who are eager victims of human trafficking. Most of the Western countries are also the chosen destination for the traffickers along with Arab states and North America joining the list. Recent findings prove that Chinese nationals are being transported into Canada by International criminals who force them into bonded labour or prostitution. Asian women are sold as wives to Western or Arab men which are another form of trafficking encountered in recent times. Human trafficking across international borders can be controlled if the concerned countries work together to eradicate this menace from its roots. Since the coordination and proper legal frame work is lacking among the states the weakness is taken advantage of by the organised crime members to exploit the situation to the maximum. The limited resources and lack of proper knowledge of the crime itself has made the link weak in the chain of law and order. Most countries are lenient with the prosecution of traffickers and the lack of witness protection keeps the women from testifying or helping in bringing the criminal to justice. This being a highly lucrative trade the organised crime circles are very careful in their strategies in order to keep the finances flowing. The online resources alone amount to about $34 billion in child pornography revenue. Statistics Most of the victims are women and children comprising almost 80% of the stream. “This human trafficking statistics estimates that 161 countries out 192 (according to the United Nations) in the world are involved with human trafficking. As an organized crime, the revenue in this industry runs to around 32 billion every year. The biggest chunk of 15.5 million coming from the slaves or forced labour servants in industrialized countries.’ This is just a rough statistics of the numbers involved in this crime. Reality could be much more and growing each day. Globalization has further fuelled this illegal trade especially in countries where the laws for immigration is very stringent. The global economic recession created the demand for human trafficking due to need for cheap labour. In addition internet has made it easy for the criminal industry to thrive in this business due to the anonymity they can get trading through the internet. The victims themselves remain silent due to fear and ignorance without having the right channels to communicate as the outside world is controlled by the captor. It therefore becomes a social problem in these countries who hardly take efforts in rescuing such trapped victims. The second common form is forced labour even though it is much less reported. This illegal trade is on the rise as the criminals involved are invasive and secretive making it difficult for the law to be effective. The report cites the International Labour Organization, which estimates that at least 12.3 million adults and children are victims of forced labour, bonded labour and sex slavery each year. "This is modern slavery. A crime that spans the globe, providing ruthless employers with endless supply of people to abuse for financial gain," (Elise Laboot, http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/06/16/human.trafficking.report/index.html#cnnSTCText) The exact scale of the human trafficking problem is unknown; this is very much a secret and underground crime that provides a lucrative but illegal trade for those involved. Estimated to generate an annual worldwide income upward of £6 billion this is a very profitable crime that strips men, women and children of their civil liberties in order to line the pockets of those in control. Although condemned under the hand of the law, it will take much more than legislation to stamp out the occurrence of human trafficking. It is difficult to trace this crime as it leaves no paper trail for the authorities to track and no money transaction that can be traced to the criminal. The most common of human trafficking is sex trafficking and labor trafficking which is defined as follows: “ Sex Trafficking: the recruitment, transportation, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act , in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person forced to perform such an act is under the age of 18 years Labour Trafficking: the recruitment, harbouring, transportation, provision, of a person for labour or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery”.(http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/07/humantraffickingIdentVict/ib.htm) Eradication Most of the government agencies are now cracking down heavily on this illegal trafficking with various programs like awareness creation among people and them enforcing law to control prostitution. Unemployment programs which help eradicate poverty and empowering women and making them aware of their rights. Education is stressed upon to clear ignorance along with employment options to make them self sufficient. Rescuing the women and children from the bondage and providing for them through rehabilitation programs. It is difficult to fight against an enemy who is invisible yet present but he hope is that awareness of the larger population can make the change in the lives of these victims who otherwise go unnoticed. It is hard to fight a battle against an enemy no one knows exists. My hope is that this presentation will serve as a mode of awareness as well as an analysis of the effects of human slavery on the global economy and other areas. Works Cited Gemmell A Nico. The Effects of Modern-day Slavery on the Global Economy. 7 December 2009. http://cndls.georgetown.edu/applications/posterTool/index.cfm?fuseaction=poster.display&posterID=1752 Human trafficking: today’s slavery. Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. 7 December 2009 http://warc.jalb.de/warcajsp/side.jsp?news_id=815&part_id=0&navi=5 Clawson Heather, Dutch Nicole. Identifying Victims of Human Trafficking: Inherent Challenges and Promising Strategies from the Field. 7 December 2009. http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/07/humantrafficking/IdentVict/ib.htm Bradley Mike. Ezine Articles. Human Trafficking Statistics - Let the Numbers Speak For Themselves. 7 December 2009. http://ezinearticles.com/?Human-Trafficking-Statistics---Let-the-Numbers-Speak-For-Themselves&id=3288326 Jacqueline Bhabha. Trafficking, Smuggling, and Human Rights. 7 December 2009. http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?ID=294 Brief Summary of Human Trafficking. 7 December 2009. http://www.aiainc.org/a/p/m/bsumht.html Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Review Conference, September 1999 ODIHR Background Paper 1999/3. 7 December 2009. http://www.osce.org/documents/odihr/1999/09/1503_en.html#p21 Luke Armstrong. Current Human Trafficking Crisis. Problem and Solutions to the Criminal Trafficking In Persons. May 27, 2008. Retrieved on 7 December, 2009. http://internationalaffairs.suite101.com/article.cfm/current_human_trafficking_crisis Lorna Hill. Human trafficking is modern day slavery. December,2009. http://warc.jalb.de/warcajsp/side.jsp?news_id=815&part_id=0&navi=5 Elise Labott. Recession boosts global human trafficking, report says. June 16, 2009, Retrieved on 7 December, 2009. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/06/16/human.trafficking.report/index.html#cnnSTCText Article Directory. Give human trafficking the red light. 7 December, 2009. http://articlesss.com/give-human-trafficking-the-red-light/ Read More