Human Trafficking In North America
Question
Please answer the following question by making at least three points to support your argument. Happy for you to choose which of the geographic locations. More details provided on pages 7/8 of the attached file.
Explore how people are trafficked into or from one of the
following areas around the world: Central or Eastern
Europe, Northern Africa, South East Asia, or North
America. Critically discuss the underlying causes of this
crime, the social impact, and local and international
measures to deal with this crime.


Solution
Human Trafficking In
North America
Human
trafficking, particularly targeting women and children, is on the rise even in
the most industrialized countries, such as the North American region, despite
the advancement of world civilizations and the promotion of human rights. Most
trafficking agents disguise themselves in the name of lucrative companies that
could offer employment or education opportunities to vulnerable victims. They
use them for other purposes such as forced labor, sexual prostitution, and
sometimes extraction of organs or surrogacy as ova. The victims are mostly from
war-torn countries, poverty, or desperate people searching for a decent
society. As a result, the trafficking agents promise to fill in this gap while
withholding some documents, making it difficult for victims to seek legal help
because they are afraid of being deported as illegal immigrants. The nature of
transnational crime and the organization of the trafficking agencies have made
it difficult to deal with the issue both internationally and locally by
enforcement agencies. This paper focuses on how human trafficking in America is
done, statistics of the most targeted places, especially in the U.S., and how
the country and international organizations are working to solve the human
trafficking issue.
Statistics of Human
Trafficking in North America
The
countries of Mexico, the U.S., and Canada make up the North American region. These
countries have already dealt with concerns of people smuggling and continue to
undertake various legislative measures and efforts to remedy the problem, but
to no success. According to a report from the National Survey of Victim Service
Providers, data collected in 2019 from 2015 showed an increase in the number of
human trafficking arrests for involuntary servitude from 66 to 146, while
commercial sex increased from 684 in 2015 to 880 in 2016, but decreased to 301
by the beginning of 2020. (Lauger and Durose, 2021, par.2). According to the
array of human trafficking cases determined in US district courts, there were
79 percent of cases terminated, an 80 percent increase in defendants, and an 82
percent increase in those sentenced to prison (Lauger and Durose, 2021, par.2).
Although there was some decline in the year 2020, the period was highly
characterized by the Covid 19 pandemic, which led to many lockdowns and restrictions
of movement for most people among and within countries which highly influenced
the outcome of human trafficking declining. However, with most economies
returning to normal, human trafficking incidents and reports are likely to
increase dramatically (Lauger and Durose, 2021).
The
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has also sought to collect
information on human trafficking in the three North American countries (UNODC,
2019, p.3). Based on the U.N. reporting, they used statistics from the Uniform
Crime Reporting survey in Canada. According to the organization, the number of
people trafficked in Canada increased from 200 in 2014 to 340 by the end of
2016 (UNODC, 2019, p.3). Further, data from the Canadian agencies, including
the Uniform crime reporting survey, royal Canadian mounted police, and the
human trafficking national coordination center, showed the numbers of
trafficking involving males were higher than those involving women, where the
females rose from 38 to 50 and males from 195 to 198 between the yeas 2014 and
end of 2016 (UNODC, 2019, p.5). From these statistics, it is evident that most
of the offenders are males in Canada, while women participating and arrested or
convicted for human trafficking offenses are few. When it comes to victims,
most of the victims are women, girls, and young children generally Reid et al.,
2017, p. 306). In this case, by 2016, only one boy was reported as a victim,
girls rose from 37 to 68, men were only seven by 2016, and women were the
highest victims as they rose from 99 to 155 in 2016 (UNODC, 2019, p.4). Most of
these victims were used for Canada’s forced labor and sexual exploitation.
The
UNODC collected data on human traffickers’ probes and suspects from the United
Mexican States' National Commission of Superior Courts of Justice (UNODC, 2019).
Statistics of human trafficking recorded between 2014 and 2017 show a decreased
from 621 to 425 in this case (UNODC, 2019, p.6). However, according to the
Office of the Attorney General of the States and State Public Security
Secretariats, the number of suspects suspected or warned of human trafficking
offenses increased from 524 in 2014 to 609 in 2017. (UNODC, 2019, p.6). During
this period, 2016 seems to be the year with most offenses being recorded at 839
cases of suspicion (UNODC, 2019, p.8). Based on the UNODC reports from the
National Commission of Superior Courts of Justice, the victim numbers between
2015 and 2017 were about 2010. In 2014, unknowns rose from 336 to 434 (UNODC,
2019, p.8). However, the number of other victims showed some decline. The
highest number of victims was females, who declined from 740 in 2015 to 262 in
2017 (UNODC, 2019, p.8). This was followed by girls who declined from 368 to
222 by 2017 from 2015 (UNODC, 2019, p.8). Males and boys reduced from 283 and
288 to 83 and 79 between 2015 and 2017, respectively (UNODC, 2019, p.8). Most
female victims were used for sexual exploitation, followed by labor
exploitation. Other crimes involved and forced on victims of human trafficking
included forced labor and other forced criminal activity of minors. Cases of
forced servitude reduced from 24 in 2014 to zero in 2017 (UNODC, 2019, p.8).
Therefore, the statistics from Mexico show a similar trend to that of the
Canadian region.
The
state of the U.S. keeps track of human trafficking crimes, particularly those
involving sexual abuse and compulsory labor. In this case, the Homeland
Security (DHS), Department of Justice (DOJ), and the state (DOS) are involved in
the investigations of the federal trafficking offenses. For example,
the FBI collects data involving human trafficking investigations and
arrests. In this case, data collected from the U.S. Department of State Trafficking
in-person report, 2016 and 2017, about 654 human trafficking offenses were
reported as arrests of solved crimes (UNODC, 2019, p.10). The number of cases
reported by the DHS rose from 987 in 2014 to 1029 in 2016 (UNODC, 2019, p.10).
Within the same period, the DOJ and DOS reported 835 and 154 cases that rose to
843 and 288, respectively (UNODC, 2019, p.11). Prosecutions also increased from
335 people to 531 from 2013 to 2016 (UNODC, 2019, p.11). The number of
convictions within the same period also rose from 184 to 439 offenders of human
trafficking (UNODC, 2019, p.11). Based on the statistics from the DOJ for
victims of crime, most of the victims were women and minor girls. Women had the
largest number of victims in this case, with the number of victims rising from
2362 in 2015 to 4975 in 2017. (UNODC, 2019, p.12). The number of girls within
the same period increased from 626 to 1593, men from 786 to 1136, and boys from
65 to 146 victims (UNODC, 2019, p.12). The number of children identified as
transgender increased from 6 to 20, while adult transgender increased from 40
to 133 (UNODC, 2019, p.12). The offenses committed against the victims,
especially the women, sexual harassment cases were the highest which rose from
2179 in 2015 to 5104 in 2017 (UNODC, 2019, p.12). Forced labor was second, with
cases rising from 1384 to 1895 within the same period (UNODC, 2019, p.12).
Forced sex and labor rose from 209 to 351, while unknown cases increased from
303 to 653 between 2015 and 2017 (UNODC, 2019, p.12).
According
to these figures, the United States is the top target of incidents in the
Northern American region. Compared to regions such as Mexico and Canada, where
there has been some decline in the cases of the offenders suspected or
arrested, the U.S. has shown a sustained increase in the numbers of both the
victims of the human trafficking cross-border crime and the number of offenders
being arrested and prosecuted by the various agencies in the United States. Human
trafficking is a serious issue in America, especially among women and young
girls, since statistics suggest an upsurge in these crimes. Besides, the number
reported is way too low. There are many unreported offenses in human
trafficking where pimps mostly use women for sexual exploitation (Greenbaum,
2017, p.1). Most of the entertainment hubs have the girls trafficked into the
U.S. to lure clients to sleep with them and get the money paid to the pimps
running the human trafficking organizations or being a targeted client by the
traffickers who sell the trafficked victims to the pimps. On the other side,
the victims have many problems, including poverty and the fear of being found
undocumented and deported to their countries where their situation is worse.
The fear, therefore, increases their vulnerability because there are not enough
laws to protect these victims, especially in offering the social and economic
protection they need in pursuing their interests in the new countries, as much
of the time, arrangements are made to deport them or incarcerate them as well
in cases where there is a violation of citizenship status documentation
(Barner, Okech, and Camp, 2014, p.148). Therefore, this vulnerability is a
great asset to women living in poverty who cannot afford their essential needs;
hence, they have no options but to sign up to the pimps that use them for their
profits.
How People Are
Trafficked
The
first way most people are trafficked is through deception. In this case, the
traffickers set up fake companies with promises of job placements in developed
nations such as the U.S. These adverts
are primarily targeted at vulnerable populations looking for jobs and a better
means. Some of the companies process documents and even pay the transportation
fees by air for the targeted victims to come into the U.S. Once they get into the country, they are
denied their paper and kept in some hostels or rooms set up expressly to house
them. They are then forced to participate in sexual prostitution or risk being
reported, which could lead to their deportation. In return, the girls are paid
a certain percentage for their work. Some of the deceptions involve being
promised to study abroad opportunities. However, once a person gets into the
country, they do not get any scholarship or student links, and instead, they
are used for cheap forced labor or sexual exploitation. Most of the male
victims fall on forced labor due to the cheapness of the labor sold to specific
companies, enabling cutting costs of operations using undocumented trafficked
people as the alternative cheap labor. These deception techniques have
contributed significantly to the development and growth of the human
trafficking industry, especially targeting most developed regions such as the
U.S., where such cases are rising sharply.
Causes
Human
trafficking is caused by three main factors that make victims more vulnerable
to smugglers. Most of the trafficking people and agencies are disguised as
genuine agents targeting the people susceptible to the lies and getting them to
do other chores and crimes such as prostitution in brothels or selling drugs,
among other crimes, for their profitability. The leading cause, in this case, includes
war and political instability, primarily in the developing or less developed
countries (Hodge, 2014, p. 111). In this case, most people want to run away
from that country to places where there is peace, and they can search for jobs
and provide for their families without disrupting the war activities. In this
case, the number of refugees increases, and many vulnerable people, especially
women and young children (mainly of the female gender), want to seek a safe
place (Reid et al., 2017, p.306). Targeting these individuals who do not have
much of an option and are desperate to get out of the warring situation has led
to many cases bother reported and not recorded being trafficked into the U.S.,
where they end up being used by pimps and other criminal organizations to
enhance crimes such as forced labor and exploitation for commercial sex
activities.
The
second cause includes the extreme poverty situations. Some individual in
third-world countries could have completed their education but do not have
jobs. Some of the victims are impoverished and getting a chance to get any form
of employment is one idea they could embrace quickly. Therefore, they tend to
get into the trap and get trafficked where they are used to working for others
and earning meager wages (Sweet, 2014, p.162). Considering the fear of
returning home to the impoverished state where there is no job and they cannot
afford to meet their basic needs, the victims of this concern decide to cope
with the trafficking status and fear of being reported, especially if they do
not have documentation which is held chiefly by the trafficking organization to
enhance the blackmail. In some instances, some people may overstay their visas
and other documentation, making them illegal immigrants and potential targets
for deportation. The fear of such deportation increases their vulnerability and
gives the traffickers an edge to continue the perpetration.
The
third leading cause includes the search for better lives. Some people believe
that coming to the U.S. and other developed countries could offer them a chance
to get better-paying jobs and good living standards. However, this yearning for
foreign countries, especially the developed ones such as the U.S., can increase
the susceptibility to falling into rogue agencies disguise themselves as
genuine, contributing to the human trafficking into the U.S. (Sweet, 2014,
p.162). Therefore, most men and women are used to serving in servitude and
modern-day slavery in various homes. Most of the time, the jobs are given to
these individuals are not paying well, and they fear going back home because of
the shame and risk of not getting a better opportunity back in their home
countries. In this case, most of them cope with the situation and engage in the
activities leading to continued victimization by the trafficking agents/organizations.
The Social Impact of
the Crime
Human
trafficking has a negative impact on society in North America, especially in
the US, with the largest market. It ruins the moral fabric and encourages
criminal activity. Firstly, the U.S. is known for its slavery institution that
resulted in many enslaved people being used in plantations for the benefit of
the landowners. At the same time, they had no access to healthcare, good pay,
and reasonable means of living. The rise in human trafficking cases, especially
for labor exploitation or forced labor, serves as a reminder to Americans and
the rest of the world that the United States is still engaged in modern-day slavery,
with some organizations knowingly recruiting trafficked victims and
collaborating with trafficking agencies to obtain cheap labor (Goodey, 2018, p.
241). Suppose such organizations are not taking action and reporting such cases
or engaging in legal and appropriate employing measures that encourage equity
and equality. In that case, the human trafficking business will continue to
grow sharply even soon. Secondly, the case of human trafficking will enhance
crimes and decrease the security of the local communities. In this case, some
of the trafficked victims are used to committing various crimes that reflect
the society in the wrong way. For instance, sexual prostitution and commercial
sex by the trafficked victims in select cities show not only the failure of the
policing agencies in combating such behavior but also highlight corruption
within such agencies and the destruction of families by promoting sexual
prostitution that is depicted as a mortal sin. Some organizations use the
victims as outlets for their drugs being smuggled or sold in the streets,
leading to more crimes by undocumented and sometimes untraceable victims.
Local and
International Measures to Deal with Human Trafficking
At
the local level, the U.S. and most North American states have legislated
against human trafficking crime and offered some protection to the offense
victims. In the U.S., for example, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence
Protection Act was passed in 2000. (GAATW, 2017, p.2). The act increased the
prison sentence for traffickers found guilty to twenty years and, in some
instances, life imprisonment. Furthermore, the DHS has developed
anti-trafficking measures, including an annual publishing of the human
smuggling in persons report, which identifies nations that are not enforcing
national crime-fighting regulations, with the goal of introducing more
interventions when they are discovered (GAATW, 2017, p.2). At an international
level, the U.N., through the United Nations in the Palermo Protocol, has also
advanced in the provisions of policy proposals on preventing and recording the
human trafficking issues (GAATW, 2017, p.2). As indicated earlier, sometimes,
social issues such as the inability to afford basic needs due to impoverishment
can increase vulnerability to human trafficking (Britton and Dean, 2014, p.
305). To prevent and address such primary causes of the crime, the U.S. has
committed about $70 million to some of the countries where people are
trafficked from to enhance building awareness campaigns, provide housing
shelters, and training of government and enforcement agencies on how to prevent
the human trafficking and enhance rehabilitation programs (O’Brien, 2016, p.
205)). This is complemented by works of non-governmental organizations that
work internationally to prevent some human trafficking cases (Limoncelli, 2016,
p.316).
Conclusion
Human
trafficking is still a concern in the North American region. The most affected
countries are the United States which has seen a sharp increase in human trafficking-related
arrests and prosecutions and the highest number of victims. Overall, most of
the victims targeted by traffickers that use deceptive means include women and
young girls. Some of the causes of the increase in human trafficking include
the war and political instability in some countries, poverty, and the urge.
They need to seek a better life outside developed countries. The
US government has attempted to pass legislation to provide some protection
to victims and to increase the severity of punishment in order to deter the
crime. Internationally, approaches like the UN, NGOs, and US government funds
to address root problems such as poverty and enforcement have aided in the
resolution of the problem. However, many challenges continue to arise, causing
stopping the crime quite tricky.
Reference List
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rights review, 15(3), pp.305-328.
Good, J., 2018. Human trafficking: Sketchy data and policy
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[Accessed 22 May 2022].
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