The Importance Of Human Trafficking In The World

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Human trafficking has increased at an alarming rate during the last 20 years, becoming the fastest growing and most profitable crime after drug trafficking. Human trafficking affects every country in the world, regardless of political structure, economy, or history as they can serve as a source of transit or destination for victims (Chong & Clark, 2014). War, poverty, cultural history, socioeconomic factors, and famine, among other factors, contribute to the spread of human trafficking across borders. The rising statistics of human trafficking worldwide have generated interest in the topic, however, understanding what this term means and what it encompasses has been problematic due to the lack of consistency when using it (Chong & Clark, 2014). Many assume human trafficking applies to prostitution only, failing to consider other areas such as forced labor in agriculture, construction, hotel, as well as selling of human organs. The lack of consistency in terminology, awareness, and clandestine nature of the business makes it difficult to identify cases and thus, the statistics we currently have of trafficked people are inaccurate (Farrell, McDevitt & Fahy, 2010). For instance, the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that over 1.5 million people across the United States, Canada, and Western Europe are victims of forced labor and human trafficking, however, reports from the U.S. Department of Justice describe that only a couple of hundred victims are identified and assisted by law enforcement per year (Farrell, McDevitt & Fahy, 2010). Underestimating the number of victims affected by human trafficking each year might result in some people, including government and law enforcement officials, questioning the existence and magnitude of the problem. Failing to recognize human trafficking as a global problem only results in higher numbers of affected victims and delays the creation of laws that could potentially protect and save affected individuals. Prosecutors and law enforcement officials have expressed concerns regarding human trafficking laws since some elements of these regulation are unclear, resulting in different interpretations and challenges when prosecuting criminal suspects. State prosecutors often charge individuals involved in human trafficking with offenses already defined in state laws such as promoting prostitution, rape, fraud, and kidnapping, since under these long-standing statutes, elements of crime are well defined and often result in convictions (Farrell, Owens & McDevitt, 2014). Additionally, state agencies find human trafficking cases too complex and demanding, thus these are often passed on to federal authorities since resources to deal with them are not available for state agencies, resulting in under-used and untested state human trafficking laws. Uncertainty over state laws and lack of resources available for government officials to combat and prosecute human trafficking crimes is a concern that affects countries worldwide. The need to create policies and laws to protect and prevent victims of human trafficking is a crucial step to take to reduce its expansion. In the early 2000s, 148 countries gathered in Palermo, Italy for a UN conference that addressed organized crime. The Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children resulted from this conference, which was ratified by 40 countries and concluded to be an international agreement towards addressing cases of human trafficking, assisting victims, and preventing new cases (Raymond, 2002). The protocol also establishes details regarding judicial cooperation and exchanges of information among countries; the UN believes this protocol will help countries address human trafficking cases with more confidence, …show more content…
It is an interactive approach that combines a variety of aspects that relate to human trafficking, such as protection of human rights, assistance to victims, and prevention programs. Under this protocol women in prostitution and child laborers are no longer viewed as criminals but victims of crime, it is a global response against trafficking, there is an accepted international definition of trafficking, victims are protected, consent of victim is irrelevant, there is a comprehensive coverage of criminal charges and global set of rules for prosecution, as well as protection of victims’ identities. It is important to note that the protocol covers an extensive set of aspects regarding human trafficking that expands beyond prosecution, focusing specifically on international efforts to fight trafficking rather than placing blame on countries’ laws, as well as encouraging countries to follow the key aspects of the protocol when generating their own laws and efforts to fight trafficking crimes nationally (Raymond,

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