Trafficking and Organized Crime

Ever since 2001, the United States and the International community have focused on eradicating Terrorism. In addition to the sale of drugs and arms, human trafficking is a major source of income for groups such as Al-Qaeda, and one of the most effective ways for us to stop organizations such as Al Qaeda from killing innocent people is to cut off their funding. After all, the weapons and bombs used by these organizations cost a lot of money, and these organizations need a steady income to fund their activities. By curbing human trafficking, we can help stop terror organizations from operating.

Al Qaeda, responsible for the 9/11 attacks, is known to be involved in human trafficking in South Asia and Europe. Recently, an Al-Qaeda member confessed to running a smuggling ring in which individuals from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India were trafficked into Spain. Trafficking offers a cheap, highly profitable method to fund activities. The risk is small, as penalties for human trafficking are much lighter than those for drug and arms trafficking.

            

Human trafficking is not only an ethical and moral issue. In recent years, it has become a topic of national security. Not only Al-Qaeda has been involved in human trafficking, but also gangs within the United States are known to be funded by trafficking and prostitution. Gang violence has haunted the streets of America for many decades.  

            

By stopping human trafficking, we are not only fighting for human rights, but we can also put a stop to violence that has taken the lives of many innocent lives.

http://mgjack.wordpress.com/2009/12/28/human-trafficking-is-al-qaedas-new-business-model/

United States Position on Human Trafficking

The United States, in an effort to combat human trafficking, releases a Trafficking in Persons Report each year. Ever since Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, each year, a report has been presented to the US Congress by the Department of State, and allows Congress to set penalties to countries that don’t make efforts to curb trafficking. Each country is placed in a Tier, based on their efforts to reduce trafficking, and the level of trafficking present. There are three Tiers, and countries that fall into the third tier may have embargos set against them. 

Many countries are becoming aware of human trafficking, but not all strive to fix this problem.  The Department of State evaluates countries based on three factors; prosecution, protection, and prevention. Countries that make efforts to prosecute traffickers, and offer protection to victims are put in Tier 2. Tier 2 countries include Japan, Brazil, Vietnam, and Thailand. Though these countries have a lot of trafficking, they have made great efforts to reduce trafficking.

Tier 3 countries, on the other hand, are countries that make no noticeable efforts to stop trafficking. Tier 3 countries face sanctions and embargos. In addition, the United States reduces aid, like in the case of Sudan, in 2003. Compared to other developed countries, the United States has made giant leaps towards helping to curb human trafficking.

However, the United States itself has trafficking issues. An estimated 14,500 people get trafficked into the United States each year. Mostly, this trafficking is that of prostitutes, but there are many laborers being trafficked into the US as well. Putting pressure on the international community about this issue is appropriate, but we must also focus on eradicating human trafficking completely in our own country.

Trafficking in Persons Report 2009

Bonded Child Labor

Child Labor is a practice shunned by many in the world, but is justified by others because many families living in poverty simply cannot survive on the income of the parents alone. But bonded child labor, which often involves parents ‘selling’ their children to work in factories and farms, cannot be justified and those involved should be handed out severe punishments. Bonded labor is a practice very common throughout the world, primarily in South Asia. Many people do not realize that often times, this is also a form of slavery. Though many cultures find this acceptable, in many cases, the debtors are treated poorly and are ‘owned’ by the people they owe money to. Often times, bonded child labor is a result of children being born into debt, as many families have been in debt for generations. Creditors, in an effort to keep the families enslaved, offer high interest loans, and pay meager wages, so even after a few generations, families still remain in debt. Often times, children as young as six are forced to work alongside their parents.

Bonded child labor has always been a problem in India. In the past, the caste system allowed members of higher castes to practically enslave Dalits (the lowest caste) and their children. The caste system has since been banned, but most Dalits still live in poverty and are bonded laborers. Their children are often born into debt, making them bonded laborers as well. Many parents sell their children in hope of paying back some of their debt. Most of the time, the price of the child is not enough to buy the family out of debt, and the family remains in debt. The children are subject to terrible conditions, barely given enough food to eat, and regularly forced to sleep on the floor.

Though there were several laws passed in India banning child labor and bonded labor, they are very hard to implement. In rural India, money talks, and landlords and factory owners have great influence over government officials and law enforcement, making it nearly impossible for bonded child laborers to seek help. 

In the early 90’s, Anti-Slavery International reported that there were 15 million bonded child laborers on India’s farms, and even more are working in other industries. This is an incredible number that needs to be reduced immediately. Several NGO’s are pressuring the government to take action, but since most local government officials are in the pockets of landlords and factory owners, little has been done to address the issue. By tackling corruption in rural towns, implementation of bonded labor laws will be much easier, and many children can be freed.

 

http://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/1996/India3.htm

http://www.thesouthasian.org/archives/2005/the_hidden_factory_child_labou.html

Moldova - The Human Trafficking Capital of Europe

Moldova, a former Soviet republic, is the center of human trafficking in Europe. In a country where the GDP per capita is $2500, opportunities are limited, so many Moldovans look for work in other countries; almost a quarter of the country’s workforce is employed abroad. Many young girls from villages who seek work abroad fall prey to traffickers. Traffickers often work closely with corrupt government officials and police, which makes it almost impossible for victims to seek protection from law enforcement.

Natalia, a young Moldovan victim of human trafficking, shared her story with the UNFPA. She was lured out of her home in Moldova when she was 19 with the promise of a better life in Italy, but instead, was made to work as a prostitute. She suffered repeated rape, physical abuse, and forced abortion. Eventually, she escaped, but could not go back to her home in Moldova because of the shame she would bring to her family. Sadly, this kind of story is shared by thousands of other women just like Natalia. These girls are sold for as little as $3000, and are almost always forced into prostitution, as this is a highly profitable business.

I was shocked to find out that in some towns in Moldova, there are little to no women left, as almost all have been victimized by human trafficking. What countries like Moldova need are strong leaders to curb corruption and bring economic stability. With the availability of jobs domestically, women would be more reluctant to leave their country, making it harder for traffickers to con them.

http://www.unfpa.org/swp/2006/moving_young_eng/Natalia/Natalia.html

http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1055188.html

Slavery in Today's World

Human trafficking and slavery are often overlooked by many in our society. The two are very closely related because many victims of human trafficking end up as slaves. Shockingly, today there are more victims of slavery and human trafficking than ever before. Though slavery is banned worldwide and many countries have strict laws against human trafficking, they are prevalent in all corners of our world. Slavery is even found in the United States, as an estimated 14,000 people are trafficked into the US each year, most of who become inducted into prostitution rings.

Poverty, overpopulation, and the lack of education have contributed much towards modern day slavery. Established sex trafficking networks exist in almost every country and this lucrative trade is highly profitable, victimizing many young women. Many people in India still follow the banned caste system, in which millions are born into slavery each year. Pakistan alone has 20 million bonded laborers, who are subject to terrible working conditions and are almost always threatened by violence. Slavery is not a issue of the past; it is very much a problem in today’s world, and will be a issue in the future as well.

Anti-slavery advocates define slavery as “The total control of one person by another for the purpose of economic exploitation.” This includes forced labor, bonded labor, forced marriage, and trafficking. Many people are unaware of the magnitude slavery occurs in today’s world. According to Kevin Bales, a leading anti-slavery advocate, the cost of obtaining a slave today is far less than during the pre-Civil war era. It is disturbing to see that humans are still sold as commodities; something that most of us thought was banned by the turn of the 20th century.