Trafficking:

Questions Answered

What is human trafficking?

Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring and receipt of people by using force, fraud, deception, abuse of power or of position or vulnerability, or of giving or receiving payment for the purpose of exploiting a person. Trafficking is NOT however smuggling, as smuggling involves the consent of the person being transported.

Is it slavery?

Trafficking regarded as modern day slavery, in that victims are controlled by traffickers/owners with violence and intimidation for the purpose of exploitation for economic gains. The trafficking of humans involves serious issues of human rights, whereby the trafficked person is unable to assert their autonomy and independence. Forced and/or coerced sexual or economic exploitation should be considered slavery.

What are Human Rights?

The philosophical premise underpinning human rights refers to reasonable demands for personal security and basic well-being that all individuals can make on the rest of humanity by virtue of their being members of the human race. Universal human rights were set out by World War II allies in the UN Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, and the idea was to create a global community based on human rights to allow for a common standard of achievement for all peoples and nations. Human rights are promoted through a variety of resolutions, covenants and monitoring and reporting mechanisms, which expand on natural law, national and international legal instruments and political principles.

Where does trafficking occur?

Human trafficking is a major global issue of concern and in recent years the phenomenon has become increasingly transnational. Trafficking occurs extensively across the world and according to the US Trafficking in Persons report 2005, it sites that trafficking affects 116 countries world wide. This of course is not a definitive figure but it demonstrates the widespread nature of the problem. Countries may be an origin (source) of victims, a receiver (destination) of victims and/or a transit centre. Unlike smuggling, trafficking does not have to occur across national boarders, it can occur across regions within a national territory. It is generally accepted that the greatest amount of internal trafficking occurs in south and south-east Asia.

Are only women and children trafficked?

The overwhelming majority of people trafficked are women and children: They form the most vulnerable group for trafficking and estimates show that between 700,000 and 4 million a year are trafficked each year worldwide for forced labour, domestic servitude, or sexual exploitation. In spite of this it is true that adult males are also victimized for forced labour and organ sales.

Are they only trafficked for sexual purposes?

Trafficked persons are abducted for a variety of purposes. Many are trafficked for economic exploitation and production purposes. Examples of this would be Nigerians, mostly women, who are trafficked for forced labour on plantations in other African countries, such as, amongst others, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. They may also be trafficked for sexual exploitation, as occurs to the majority of Nepalese women and children who are trafficked to Indian brothels. Other reasons for trafficking include victims trafficked for the removal and the sale of organs and male children trafficked to become camel jockeys in the Middle East.

How many people are trafficked?

There are diverse estimations for the number of persons trafficked per year. Estimates range from 700,000 persons to four million. A recent U.S. Government estimate indicates that approximately 800,000- 900,000 women, children and men are trafficked annually across international borders worldwide. This does not, however, include internal trafficking. Figures may seem to vary because they are estimated for different types of trafficking (for forced labour, sexual slavery) or possibly internal trafficking across regions rather than transnational trafficking of persons.

Why are the numbers so vague?

Although human trafficking is not a new activity, it has only been in recent years that governments, international organisations and NGOs have begun to tackle the issues surrounding it. As such research on the subject is limited and fairly new. However, figures are especially difficult to collect because the phenomenon forms part of a global shadow economy which is unregulated and exploited by criminal organisations and networks. The exact figures will never be known, however, increased awareness along with government and international vigilance will aid the collection of more realistic figures.

Why has trafficking increased in recent times?

The main causes frequently cited as being the trigger for trafficking are poverty, war, crisis, desperation and ignorance. However, it has been the deepening globalisation for world economy that has increased the movement of peoples, monies and goods transnationally that has facilitated a rapid increase in the trafficking of humans in recent times. Indeed the International Labour Organization (ILO) note human trafficking to be the "underside of globalization." The promotion of neoliberal economic policy arguably entrenches and increases the marginalisation of the very poor, particularly women, which in turn leads to increased poverty, despair and inequality and thus trafficking. In addition, the incidence of conflict in the developing world over the last half century provides a ideal environment for human trafficking from unstable zones.

Who trafficks people? And How?

Organized criminal groups, gangs, document forgers, brothel owners, and corrupt police or immigration officials funnel form part of the global human trafficking network. Human traffickers are able to be highly successful because of links with other transnational criminal groups, such as arms dealers, drug traffickers, and car theft rings, which provide them with safe and tested routes, access to cash, forged documents, and officials to bribe. Besides the widespread criminal networks involved in the sale of persons might be the parents of a trafficked person, who gain economically from selling members of their family to traffickers.

How do authorities decipher between trafficked persons and illegal migrants?

The difference between trafficking and migration is one of consent. A trafficked person loses their autonomy once part of the trafficking chain and although they might have accepted an offer of work in another country, their compliance to work in prostitution and labour in the destination country is then achieved through coercion or force. A migrant on the other hand, is one who consents to be moved across international boarders with the intention of working and living illegally in that country. The authorities and boarder control of destination and transit countries may find it difficult to distinguish between the two and trafficked persons are often arrested and imprisoned under the charge of illegal migration. Dissemination of information and training for boarder authorities will allow for better understanding of this difference.