Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking

Introduction

Human trafficking, also known as modern-day slavery or trafficking in persons, is a criminal act and a violation of basic human rights (e.g., right to freedom, right to dignity, right to equal protection of the law) that affects every country in the world. Human trafficking is one of the few crimes that have been pursued from a victim's perspective, with a focus on prevention of trafficking, protection of victims, and prosecution of traffickers. This entry explores the definition of trafficking and related common misunderstandings, and includes an examination of the size, scope, and patterns of trafficking; sample profiles of traffickers and victims; and responses to human trafficking.

Discussion

Human trafficking is undoubtedly one of the most money-making transnational misdeeds today. According to Farr (2005), it believed that, from the sale of human beings, $7 to $12 billion made by criminal enterprises and it ranks third after the sale of pharmaceutical and weapons, as most businesses lucrative International and illegal. Traffickers target people who know more needy and willing to do anything for a job and income say specialized organizations. Sexual exploitation in Europe is a mass phenomenon which no European country has escaped and is developing in a context of globalization.

The development of tourism, open borders within the Schengen area, the use of more developed Internet promote the expansion of trafficking in human beings for prostitution, child pornography and sex tourism involving children or adults. This crime transcends borders without any difficulty. The explosion of the sex trade also reflects the growing involvement of organized crime. The tightening of immigration policies in countries of the European Union promotes the creation of networks of human trafficking or illegal immigration (Rock, 51-82).

The crime of trafficking may begin as smuggling. For example, an individual may pay a smuggler for his or her services to gain entry into a country. Once in the country, the smuggler may request extra money. When the smuggled client cannot pay, the smuggler becomes a trafficker if he coerces the client to do something, such as prostitution, to gain the additional money. In the same way, an employer may exploit an individual, such as by expecting him or her to work for less than the established minimum wage, but it becomes trafficking when the employer houses the employee and will not let him or her leave.

As with most forms of criminal activity, it is difficult to collect accurate data about human trafficking. However, advocacy organizations and governments alike assert that the overwhelming majority of individuals who are trafficked are women and children-including both female and male children-and it is estimated that approximately half of all individuals trafficked are under the age of 18 (Ebbe & Dilip, 2008). Data indicates that internationally between 1 and 2 million individuals are newly trafficked each year, while millions more remain captive within the trafficking system. In addition, tens of thousands of individuals are trafficked each year domestically, including from one state to another or from a rural area to an urban one ...