Modern Day Slavery & Human Trafficking
Written by: Elizabeth
Oath of God Ministries
2013
Slavery All Around Us:
We don’t think about it but the slave trade is all around us. The worldwide slave trade victimizes both children and adults alike.
The warm coco that your children sipped this morning was cultivated and harvested by child slaves in the Ivory Coast of Africa. The sugar cubes you also plunked into your coffee were harvested by Haitian slave workers in the Dominican Republic. The cotton in your favorite tea shirt was harvested by both adult and child slaves in Uzbekistan.
Every time you step onto the soft Persian area rug in your living room, think about the child slaves in Pakistan and Nepal who spent 19 hours a day hand weaving it just for your pleasure. The sparkling dishes that you ate off of last night at your favorite neighborhood restaurant were washed by a trafficked slave from Mexico. The chef was also a victim of human trafficking who continues to work 70 hours a week against his will and for a pittance. The lovely middle class home down the street with the white picket fence is actually a stash house for young American teens who were deceived, coerced or abducted into the human sex trade against their will by urban gang members. The young Asian women who gives you manicures at the downtown nail salon is a victim of human trafficking and receives no pay for her work.
Yes, slavery is all around us yet we never take a moment to think about it.
“Workers carry buckets of tomatoes to a drop-off point as they harvest what they can from tomato fields in Homestead, Florida. Migrant and undocumented workers promised well-paying jobs can fall victim to modern slavery—even in the United States.” The Grim Reality of Forced, Slave, and Child Labor Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
(ILO Worldwide Statistics)
There is an array of different statistics from various organizations regarding human trafficking. Our research shows discrepancies among them. With this in mind, we decided to rely almost exclusively with the ILO International Labor Organization’s statistics and profiles. It is difficult even for ILO to get a grasp of human trafficking for both labor and the sex trade given the nature of this business as the victims are well hidden and prosecution of the perpetrators is rare in most countries.
According to the (ILO) International Labor Organization’s 2012 study estimates an estimated 21 million people are currently victims of forced labor. Out of the total, 9.1 million (44 %) are victims who have moved either internally or internationally. The majority, 11.8 million (56 %), are subjected to forced labor in their place of origin or residence. When cross-border movement is apparent it is heavily associated with forced sexual exploitation but not always.
The ILO study further showed that women and girls represent the greater share of the total – 11.4 million (55%), as compared to 9.5 million (45%) men and boys. Adults are more affected than children – 74% (15.4 million) of victims fall in the age group of 18 years and above, whereas children aged 17 years and below represent 26% of the total (or 5.5 million child victims). Forced sexual exploitation accounts for 22 per cent of all victims whereas forced labor exploitation makes up 68 per cent of the total. The new ILO estimate shows how forced labor affects different groups of people: 55 per cent of all victims are women and girls, 45 per cent are men and boys. Children make up around one quarter of all victims male or female.
Of the total number of 21 million forced laborers, 18.7 million (90%) are exploited in the private economy, by individuals or enterprises. Out of these, 4.5 million (22%) are victims of forced sexual exploitation, and 14.2 million (68%) are victims of forced labor exploitation in economic activities, such as agriculture, construction, domestic work or manufacturing. The remaining 2.2 million (10%) are in state-imposed forms of forced labor, for example in prisons, or in work imposed by the state military or by rebel armed forces. These figures do not include trafficking for the removal of organs or for forced marriage/adoption unless the latter practices lead to a situation of forced labor or service according to the ILO.
21 Million Trapped in Modern Slavery
Profits from Human Trafficking
The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that global profits made from forced laborers exploited by private enterprises or agents reach $44.3 billion every year, of which $31.6 billion are from trafficked victims. Over $15 billion are made from people trafficked and forced to work in industrialized countries, with almost one-third coming from Asia. World profits from all forced commercial sexual exploitation amount to $33.9 billion, with $15.4 billion realized in industrial countries. This figure is followed by Asia, with $11.2 billion. Countries in transition generate a $3.5 billion profit, followed by Latin America ($2.1 billion) and the Middle East and North Africa ($1.1 billion). Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where these criminal annual profits are lowest, with an amount of $0.5 billion according to the “End Human Trafficking Now” website.
The Dark Side of Chocolate
Your chocolate bars and cocoa mix are produced by child slavery. Hershey, Nestle, Mars, Archer Daniel Midland, Cargill, Kraft, World’s Finest Chocolate, Blommer Chocolate and others reap enormous revenues from child slavery whether knowingly or from a blind eye. The industry is slow to take responsibility. Consumers are active participants when they buy this chocolate.
“Filipino child laborers work in the charcoal dump of a port district in Manila, Philippines. The (ILO) International Labor Organization survey of child labor in the Philippines found more than three million children working in hazardous conditions.” The Grim Reality of Forced, Slave, and Child Labor Photo: Dondi Tawatao/Getty Images
What Constitutes Human Trafficking
The United Nations Office of Drugs & Crime (UNODC) lists (3) three elements that must be present to constitute human trafficking as an illegal act. They are the following: 1.) “The Act” refers to the recruitment, transportation, harboring, or the receipt of persons that are purposed for trafficking. 2.) “The Means” refers to any threat, use of force to include deception, coercion or abuse of power to lure victims into the trafficking realm. 3.) “The Purpose” refers to the form of exploitation whether it is sexual exploitation, forced labor, domestic servitude, forced begging or organ removal.
Common Indicators of Human Trafficking
According to conservative ILO estimates approximately 1 out of 1000 worldwide are forced into labor at any given time. From a media standpoint, the sex trade receives more attention but according to ILO estimates it is forced labor exploitation in economic activities, such as agriculture, construction, domestic work or manufacturing that is the more widespread problem. ILO estimates statistics for this type of forced labor at 14.2 million (68 per cent) whereas the estimates for victims of forced sexual exploitation are considerably lower at 4.5 million or (22 per cent).
For each type of forced labor there are common denominators found in all of them. The ILO established (11) eleven indicators based on the definition of forced labor as outlined in the ILO Forced Labor Convention, 1930, No. 29 “all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily.”
The indicators are the following: abuse of vulnerability, deception, restriction of movement, isolation, physical and sexual violence, intimidation and threats, retention of identity documents, withholding of wages, debt bondage, abusive working and living conditions, and excessive overtime.
Vulnerability: The poor, unemployed, and those lacking language skills are vulnerable.
Deception: Victims have been deceived into believing that a well paid job is waiting for them. When they arrive at the job site the conditions are abusive, the salary does not materialize and there is no opportunity for escape.
Restriction of Movement: Workers are closely monitored either by supervisors, guards or surveillance cameras. Doors and windows may have bars. Escorts are needed during transportation to and from work.
Isolation: The worker may not be able to identify his new location. Even in urban areas confinement to a single building can cause isolation. Cell phones are confiscated. Any opportunity to communicate with family members is removed. Work camps may be in isolated or rural areas. Public transportation may not be available.
Physical or Sexual Violence: Domestic workers may be forced to have sex with the employer in addition to their routine work. Workers may be physically beaten to improve productivity. Oftentimes victims of the sex trade are gang raped and beaten to force them into submission before they even begin their work in the trade.
Intimidation and Threats: Should a worker complain to his supervisor, the employer may threaten with physical violence or remove the worker’s basic right to leave the premises. The employer may threaten to withhold wages or to contact immigration authorities.
Retention of Documents: Passports or other legal papers identifying the worker are confiscated by the employer. Without the proper paperwork a worker cannot return home and may be afraid to seek help from the authorities.
Withholding of Wages: The worker may be denied his wages. Some workers may feel compelled to continue working in order to receive past wages. A worker may need the earned wages just to find another job.
Debt Bondage: Some laborers are in bondage due to a debt they incurred or to pay off a inherited debt from the family. Employers may manipulate the interest charges in order to increase the debt amount and extend the time it will take to pay off the debt. Children may also be given to an employer in exchange for a loan where the young child is basically sold into forced labor.
Abusive Working and Living Conditions: Although abhorrent living conditions may not be an indication of forced labor it does provide hints to the possibility that it exists.
Excessive Overtime: If a worker is forced to work excessive hours beyond the national law and under some form of threat, it may point to forced labor. Some workers are forced to contribute 16 hours a day, seven days a week and without breaks or lunch.
Other Types of Worldwide Human Trafficking
Child soldiers from the SLA guerillas, one of the rebel groups against the government in Jartum. Two hundred thousands dead, six million internally displaced, and nearly 800 refugees. This is the reality that ravages western Sudan because of the armed conflict between the government and the Christian guerillas of the Darfur region. Photo: Alvaro Ybarra Zavala/Agence Vu (Proof Media for Social Injustice)
Child Soldiery: The internationally agreed definition for a child associated with an armed force or armed group (child soldier) is “any person below 18 years of age who is, or who has been, recruited or used by an armed force or armed group in any capacity, including but not limited to children, boys and girls, used as fighters, cooks, porters, messengers, spies or for sexual purposes. It does not only refer to a child who is taking or has taken a direct part in hostilities.”(1) It is a war crime to use any child under 15 years of age.
An estimated 300,000 children are involved in more than 30 conflicts worldwide, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).(2) Some boys as young as 8 are forced into soldiery either to carry guns, ammunition and different types of weaponry. Sometimes they may cook, carry firewood, fetch water, clean and run errands for their masters and overseers. Some are used as human shields during battle. According to War Child an estimated 40% of all child soldiers are girls who are also trafficked for sexual exploitation.(3) There are children who will volunteer to become child soldiers but this is only to receive food and shelter.
Like all trafficked victims, the child soldiers must be indoctrinated to prevent them from either returning home or escaping. The indoctrination process also exposes them to so much violence they become hardened towards the sanctity of life. Some children may be forced to kill a family member or someone in their home community. Others may be told to torture a victim.
Once the conflict has ended and the children have been rescued, reintegrating these children back into society can be difficult. They all suffer immeasurably from deep psychological wounds and have been exposed to extreme violence. Reuniting them with their family members is a first priority whenever possible.
In CNN’s report titled “Stolen Kids Turned into Terrifying Killers, Feb 12, 2007, Ann O’Neil writes, “One girl, Angela, 12, told Human Rights Watch she was told to shoot a friend when she joined Colombia’s FARC guerrillas. “I closed my eyes and fired the gun, but I didn’t hit her. So I shot again,” she said. “I had to bury her and put dirt on top of her. The commander said, ‘You’ll have to do this many more times, and you’ll have to learn not to cry.’ ”
An indictment against Congolese warlord Thomas Lubanga Dyilo asserts that one of his commanders threatened to shoot a 13-year-old girl unless she tied the testicles of a prisoner with wire. She complied and the captive died.(4)
In Myanmar — formerly known as Burma — a boy who was 11 when he was recruited to the national army, had to watch as older soldiers gunned down mothers and then killed their babies. “They swung them by their legs and smashed them against a rock. I saw it,” Kim Muang Than told Human Rights Watch. (5)
In Myanmar (Burma), where 40 per cent of children never enroll in school, the Burmese army recruits youths as young as 12 years old. Those who don’t serve as soldiers or military porters are often forced to labor on farms, run street markets or collect rubbish in the streets. Suicide is common among the worst treated.(6)
According to World Vision the nations involved with the highest number of child soldiers are the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Chad, Rwanda, Myanmar, South Sudan, Sudan, Yemen and Syria with the US providing military aid to Chad, DRC, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen, and now, to the Syrian opposition. Of those 10 countries, the United States provides military aid to Chad, DRC, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen, and now, to the Syrian opposition.(7)
Soldier Child
Organ Removal: According to a May 2012 article in the Guardian it was reported that the World Health Organization estimated that 10,000 black market organ removal operations take place every year which is equivalent to at least one operation each hour. Traffickers seem to be taking advantage of the worldwide demand for kidneys due to the prevalence of diabetes and other diseases. Kidney transplant comprise 75% of the entire global black market trade in organs. The black market trade of organs is illegal in all countries accept for Iran.(8)
Those in need of organs will travel to China, Pakistan or India where a surgery may cost as much as $200,000. Brokers may pay as little as $2,500 or upward to $5,000 from victims who are financially desperate. Sometimes the payment to the donor is a mere pittance given the donor’s poverty level. (9)
Although organ trafficking is not included in the previous statistics – there are signs of an alarming increase in this area of trafficking. A recent 2/3/13 report by The Telegraph in Britain reported that a young Somalian girl was transported to the UK for the sole purpose of having her organs removed and sold to the highest bidder desperate for an organ transplant. Although only one child was discovered, officials believe that this is not an isolated situation as many victims are frequently transported in groups.(10)
According to The Telegraph in July 2012 Chinese police were successful in dismantling a trafficking ring specializing in organ removal. It wasn’t reported until a month later by the state run news agency Xinhua. There were 137 arrests which included 18 doctors involved in the ring and 127 victims or organ suppliers that were rescued. The trafficking problem in China is very critical with 1.5 million people needing organ transplants but with only 10,000 legally approved organs available for transplant operations.(11)
In 2012 a six year old Chinese boy living in the northern province of Shanxi was kidnapped and drugged for the purpose of obtaining the corneas of his eyes.(12) He was later found in a field with a bloodied face. His eyes were eventually recovered in the proximity of where he was found but his corneas were missing. Kidnapping is a rarity in the trafficking of organs because people typically understand the exchange process. More often it is a financially impoverished victim that will make the organ exchange for money but this young boy was forcibly kidnapped, drugged and had his eyes removed. Sadly he was also born with a cleft-palate.
:
Jewish Community Applauds Rabbis for Organ Trafficking
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CNN: Tales From the Organ Trade
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Eight Israelis Charged with Trafficking Human Organs
Trafficking in America
According to the Berkley Journal of International Law, 2005, Hidden Slaves – Forced Labor in the United States, “Victims of forced labor come from numerous ethnic and racial groups. Most are “trafficked” from thirty-five or more countries and, through force, fraud, or coercion, find themselves laboring against their will in the United States. In the study, Chinese comprised the largest number of victims, followed by Mexicans and Vietnamese. Some victims were born and raised in the United States and found themselves pressed into servitude by fraudulent or deceptive means. Over the past five years, forced labor operations have been reported in at least ninety U.S. cities. These operations tend to thrive in states with large populations and sizable immigrant communities, such as California, Florida, New York, and Texas-all of which are transit routes for international travelers.”
The Berkley Journal continues to site, “Forced labor is prevalent in five sectors of the U.S. economy: prostitution and sex services (46%), domestic service (27%), agriculture (10%), sweatshop/ factory (5%), and restaurant and hotel work (4%). Forced labor persists in these sectors because of low wages, lack of regulation and monitoring of working conditions, and a high demand for cheap labor. These conditions enable unscrupulous employers and criminal networks to gain virtually complete control over workers’ lives.”
In the United States: End Purposes of Human Trafficking
Agricultural and Farms: Trafficked migrant workers are often forced to work long hours against their will. A crew supervisor may threaten to expose an undocumented worker to immigration officials if the laborer’s productivity doesn’t increase. Passport credentials are confiscated which prevents the laborers from escaping. The migrant camps are established in isolated areas where communication or transportation is scarce. Housing in the migrant camps is inadequate, unsanitary and unsafe from physical or sexual abuse. In Florida alone the DOJ prosecuted 7 labor trafficking cases which ultimately helped over 1,000 victims. The DOJ also prosecuted a recruiting company which recruited over 400 Thai workers in 13 different states. The company confiscated passports, transported them to different states where the workers incurred considerable travel debt and deported those who wouldn’t comply.(13)
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USA Food Chain Slaves
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Domestic workers: Trafficked laborers are forced to work 16-19 hours a day cleaning, cooking, gardening and performing other miscellaneous household duties. Typically they are threatened and sometimes beaten into submission. In 2009 a married couple from Brookfield, WI and both medical doctors, were convicted of forcing a Philippian woman to work for 19 years in their home as their domestic servant. The wife recruited the victim in 1985. The victim testified that for 19 years she was forbidden from going outside and told that she would be arrested, imprisoned and deported if she was discovered. The victim was discovered by authorities at the age of 38 years.(14)
Factory, Shipyard and Garment Workers: Trafficked factory workers are frequently involved with food processing such as slaughter, preserving, packing and canning food. The garment industry is yet another opportunity for traffickers to supply labors many of whom will be required to sew, press, assemble and pack. These workers are very vulnerable and easily exploited. Shipyard workers are typically involved with construction, welding and various repairs. In Hawaii Kil Soo Lee was found guilty of human trafficking and forced labor. Lee, owner of the Daewoosa garment factory mistreated workers so poorly that the labors desperately sought food from local residents. Lee was convicted on numerous federal charges, including involuntary servitude, extortion and money laundering. He illegally confined and used as forced labor over 200 Vietnamese and Chinese garment workers. He was convicted of forced labor.(15)
Signal International LLC in Alabama has been notorious for its human trafficking and forced labor and has had numerous lawsuits filed against it. Signal is a leading Gulf of Mexico provider of marine and fabrication services, including new construction, heavy fabrication and offshore drilling rig and ship overhaul, repair, upgrade and conversation.
“The ACLU is litigating a groundbreaking lawsuit originally brought on behalf of close to 500 guest workers from India. These workers were trafficked into the United States through the federal government’s H-2B guest worker program with dishonest assurances of becoming lawful permanent U.S. residents, and subjected to squalid living conditions, fraudulent payment practices, and threats of serious harm upon their arrival. Recruiting agents hired by the marine industry company Signal International held the guest workers’ passports and visas; coerced them into paying extraordinary fees for recruitment, immigration processing, and travel; and threatened them with serious legal and physical harm if they did not work under the Signal-restricted guest worker visa. Once in the United States, the men were required to live in Signal’s guarded, overcrowded labor camps, subjected to psychological abuse and defrauded out of adequate payment for their work.”(16)
Restaurant Industry: Trafficked restaurant laborers are often waiters, busboys, kitchen staff, or even cooks/chefs with little or no pay. Organized crime or unscrupulous recruiters provide fraudulent visas for foreign victims. Victims of the restaurant industry normally don’t speak the English language or have any knowledge of US customs which leaves them particularly vulnerable to exploitation, threats of deportation, and exhausting hours of forced labor. Even for the legal workers racial discrimination runs rampart in this industry. 87.7% of workers nationwide do not have paid sick days and almost half of restaurant workers (46.3%) have experienced overtime violations.(17)
Strip and Hostess Clubs: Trafficked women from either the United States or foreign countries are oftentimes forced to dance at strip clubs. In addition to being a hostess, dancing or serving drinks, they are required to provide sex to the patrons. All of their money and tips are turned over to their controller, trafficker or pimp. Foreign victims have their passports confiscated and all victims are heavily guarded to prevent escape. Typically the victim is beaten, drugged or gang raped to force her to submit early on to the requirements expected of them. Often times the perpetrator will threaten to kill the victim’s family members to prevent escape.
Other industries: Reports show that the hospitality industry, nail and hair salons are also suspect for human trafficking and forced labor. Young boys found peddling magazines may also be victims of human trafficking and forced labor.
Review of the Sex Trade: America & Worldwide
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The Truth of Sex Trafficking
In a previous paragraph, we listed the (3) three elements that must be present to constitute human trafficking as an illegal act for any end-user purpose. They are 1.) The Act 2.) The Means 3.) The Purpose. Now let’s take these (3) elements and apply them to human trafficking within the sex trade both worldwide as well as in America.
The Act – Recruiting the Victim
At the onset of the trafficking process is the need to recruit victims. Many women are lured under false pretenses of a better life only to find themselves living in bondage under extreme forms of privation by their perpetrators. In foreign countries, the initial perpetrator may be an older woman who appears trustworthy and friendly especially when the objective is to recruit a younger female. Between 2007 – 2010 UNODC global statistics showed that 30% of the perpetrators who were prosecuted and convicted were women while 70% were men.(18) Nevertheless, because 16% of countries had no convictions during this same time frame, convictions for human trafficking have been considered a rare crime.(19)
At the onset of the trafficking process is the need to recruit victims. In a foreign country a perpetrator will frequently approach a parent who is unable to provide any education or upward mobility for his/her daughter. The perpetrator will offer the parents an improved situation for their child. This is done by assuring the parent that a job opportunity, although away from home, can easily be obtained for the child. A marriage arrangement or education is sometimes used to persuade the parents as well. In some cases, a perpetrator may offer money to the parents in exchange for the daughter. Many parents, beguiled by the perpetrator, will release their daughters under these false premises not realizing that they will probably never see their daughter again. In other situations, a young child might be abducted directly off the street only to be transported to a different location.
In the United States ringleaders and perpetrators of human trafficking may lure a young girl at a local grocery store by offering her a modeling career. Beguiled by the possibility of a glamorous career, the young girl will agree to follow the perpetrator only to find herself held hostage against her will, dancing at strip club until 3:00 AM and subsequently working the streets until morning. Some perpetrators may kidnap a young girl right off the street and immediately place her into the sex trade. Oftentimes and within 24 hours the perpetrator will post photographs selling the victim to the end buyer for the purposes of sex. Other trafficked victims may be run-away teenagers that fall prey to the wiles of the perpetrator offering food, clothing and a roof over their heads. Gang members within America’s inner cities have become the supply-end of the human trafficking sex trade.
Run for Courage Fights Human Trafficking in Bay Area
The Means – Transportation and Coercion
Once in captivity, the child, teenager or young woman are transferred to multiple locations thereafter and may cross different continents before reaching the final destination. This high degree of travel leaves the victim disoriented and confused. Not speaking the language, completely removed from friends and family as well as any familiar setting, having all passport documents taken away, and kept in isolation from others for long periods of time, the victim remains helpless. To psychologically break down the victim, abuses against her may include violent gang rape, food deprivation, beatings, forced injection of drugs, and threats to kill family members should she attempt to escape. Indeed it is modern day slavery of the worst type.
The Purpose – Prostitution, Sexual Exploitation
Clearly the purpose of recruiting and transporting any victim is to eventually make strong profits off of the victim within the sex trade. Many of the young women will be forced to work in brothels, massage parlors or strip clubs. Many of the girls are hidden away in stash houses in America’s middle class neighborhoods.
The below information was obtained by Global Centurion Foundation (GCF), a non-profit organization which fights human trafficking and modern-day slavery. GCF’s primary strategy focuses more on the demand side of the problem such as the end-user or buyer rather than the supply side which is the trafficker. According to GCF’s research the countries listed below are notorious for human trafficking in the sex trade.(20)
1. Super Bowl & Sporting Events Spur Demand Across North America
From scantily clad cheerleaders to groupies to VIP parties, sex and sports are linked in contemporary society. With no wives or girlfriends in sight, the adrenaline and alcohol fueled fans has the potential to create a concentrated demand for commercial sex. Unfortunately, this demand is sometimes being met by trafficked persons. Some of these victims will be underage — as young as 11 — who have been trafficked into prostitution, as well as other young women who have become ensnared in sexual servitude for a variety of reasons. A case in point: earlier this year in Florida, a number of arrests were made on charges of sex trafficking. In one case a Hawaiian man was caught trafficking an 11 year-old-child. As more cases are uncovered, the correlation between commercial sex trafficking and major sporting events is being documented.
2. Las Vegas, Nevada & Legalized Prostitution
Contrary to what many people think, prostitution is not legal in Las Vegas but the “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” media campaign and attitude has led tourists to believe that they can purchase commercial sex or engage in sex tourism without arrest or punishment. Unfortunately, Las Vegas, often referred to as Sin City, attracts a large number of runaway teens, as well as pimps, and “johns”. With the constant demand for commercial sex, it is no surprise that Las Vegas is considered one of the top ten human trafficking locations in the world. Nevada is the only state in the United States that has legalized prostitution. However, the industry is heavily regulated by state and local government. State law prohibits prostitution in counties where the population is over 400,000, such as Clark County, which includes the city of Las Vegas. In spite of the law prohibiting prostitution in Las Vegas, prostitution is widespread there. In 2003, Carson City, Douglas, Washoe and Lincoln Counties banned prostitution. Currently there are between 25 and 30 licensed brothels in the State of Nevada.
3. Mexico
Mexico is a country of origin, transit and destination for trafficking victims. However, a large number of Mexican boys and girls are trafficked within Mexico for the purposes of sexual exploitation. These victims are often lured from poor rural districts to urban and tourist districts. According to a recent report by ECPAT, Mexico has become the major sex tourism destination in the Americas. More than 16,000 children are estimated to be involved in the sex industry in the country’s popular tourist destinations of Acapulco, Cancun, Guadalajara and Tijuana. These cities have become magnets for sex tourists and pedophiles that prey on minors who have been trafficked to these areas.
4. The Caribbean
Human trafficking is a major issue facing the Caribbean region. For example, in Haiti, an estimated 250,000 children—80% of whom are girls—have been subjected to a system of domestic slavery termed “restavèk” (a Creole word which means to “one who stays with”). As a consequence of the catastrophic earthquake in January, the number of persons who have been left vulnerable to exploitation has increased dramatically. Experts fear that the increase in children alone, whether separated from their families, or new orphans, or restavèks, who are now wandering the streets, will be absorbed by a culture that has looked on child servitude and child slavery as a normal part of life. Effectively, this increase the number of vulnerable children following the earthquake will result in a heightened demand.
5. Brazil
Brazil has one of the worst child sex trafficking problems in the world. It also has a thriving sex tourism industry, with sex trafficking of Brazilian women occurring in every state and federal district of the country. Foreign tourists from Germany, Italy, and other European states increasingly come to Brazil for sex tourism. The age of consent in Brazil is 18; however, according to UN estimates “2 million young people under the age of 18 have been trafficked into prostitution.”
6. Germany & the Netherlands: Legalized Commercial Sex Trafficking
Some experts raise concerns that the legalization of prostitution is directly linked to the legitimization of commercial sex trafficking. They argue that the aggregate impact of legalization over the years in countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, and other countries has been to create major hubs of demand for trafficked women and children. As discussed in a report produced by the “Coalition Against Trafficking in Women” (CATW), legalization implicitly supports the view that “men need sex and are entitled to have it even if they have to purchase a woman’s body.” CATW makes the argument that as a consequence of legalization, commercial sexual exploitation is normalized, and demand is increased. Although there has not yet been an evidence-based research to verify this hypothesis, a growing number of countries, including Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and the United States, are changing their laws to reflect concerns about legalization.
7. Israel
At the start of the new century, Israel found itself with an unexpected and unwanted reputation – as a destination hotspot for sex trafficking. In 2006, the United Nations named Israel as one of the world’s primary destinations for trafficked women. According to a Parliamentary Inquiry Committee report, between 3,000 and 5,000 women are smuggled into Israel annually where they are sold into the prostitution industry and subjected to continuous violence and abuse. Most of the women are from the former Soviet Union, especially Russia, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus and Uzbekistan.
8. Germany & the Netherlands:
Legalized Commercial Sex Trafficking Some experts raise concerns that the legalization of prostitution is directly linked to the legitimization of commercial sex trafficking. They argue that the aggregate impact of legalization over the years in countries like Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, and other countries has been to create major hubs of demand for trafficked women and children. As discussed in a report produced by the “Coalition Against Trafficking in Women” (CATW), legalization implicitly supports the view that “men need sex and are entitled to have it even if they have to purchase a woman’s body.” CATW makes the argument that as a consequence of legalization, commercial sexual exploitation is normalized, and demand is increased. Although there has not yet been an evidence-based research to verify this hypothesis, a growing number of countries, including Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and the United States, are changing their laws to reflect concerns about legalization.
9. Middle Eastern/Gulf States
The commercial sex industry is flourishing in the Middle East. Most notably, underground prostitution rings are a problem throughout the region. Many of the Gulf States, including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Lebanon are significant hubs of demand. Indeed, the UAE has been dubbed the “Center for Prostitution in the Middle East.” Many women, mainly from small towns in the Former Soviet Union and China, are trafficked to Dubai to fill the large demand for illicit sex that has been created by the huge influx of largely male, expatriate workers from the East and West
10. South African 2010 World Cup
The World Cup, an international sporting event, attracts millions of spectators every four years. Events of this magnitude, where there is an influx of predominantly male fans, act as a magnet for commercial sex traffickers. In South Africa during the world Cup (June 11 – July 11, 2010), traffickers brought in thousands of young women and girls to meet the inevitable surge in demand generated by over 2.4 million sports fans. Experts estimate that 40,000 women and children were transported into South Africa for purposes of commercial sexual exploitation, making South Africa a clear hub for demand.
11. Brothels of India
Women and girls are trafficked both within India and into India from Nepal and Bangladesh and other neighboring countries. Huge red light districts holding thousands of women and children operate brothels offering girls as young as 9 and 10 for sale. Kamathipura in Mumbai, Sonagachi in Calcutta, Reshampura in Gwalior and Budhwar Peth in Pune all hold thousands of women, many of them in virtual captivity. Human Rights Watch estimates that over 15 million young women are trapped in prostitution. In Mumbai alone, over 100,000 are estimated to be in prostitution. Young women can live their whole lives in these brothels, have children (usually the offspring of their customers), and die there, often at an early age from HIV/AIDS and other diseases. Intergenerational exploitation is common.
12. Sri Lanka: Beach Boy Sex Tourism
One of the main industries in Sri Lanka is tourism. Over half a million tourists arrive in Sri Lanka for the great climate, the beautiful countryside, and the beaches. However, there is an underbelly to this legitimate tourist industry: Sri Lanka has become a virtual haven for men seeking children to exploit for sex. Over two decades, the island developed a reputation for hosting European men interested in young boys. It is estimated there are over 5,000 children trapped in prostitution in Sri Lanka today, most of them boys in the 7 to 16 age group.
12. Cambodia: Pedophile Haven?
The Cambodian economy relies heavily on the tourist industry. This lush tropical land with its beautiful beaches and ancient temples attracts many vacationers. Tourism is good and legitimate tourism needs to be encouraged. Unfortunately, there is dark underbelly which has flourished over the last twenty years: child sex tourism. Cambodia has come to be known for its thriving sex industry, where child sexual exploitation runs rife, and authorities are easily bribed to look the other way; thus, predators and child traffickers alike act with impunity.
13. China’s One Child Policy:
The Next Tsunami of Demand China’s one child policy has created severe gender imbalances where boys outnumber girls by a significant margin. Because of a long-standing preference for sons, parents have actively engaged in gender based selective abortions/feticide, abandonment, and infanticide. Consequently, many millions of girls are missing and experts estimate that in this generation alone, over 37 million men will not find partners. Experts fear that this will generate a demand for trafficked women and girls — demand that will be met from countries like North Korea, Vietnam, Myanmar, Mongolia, Thailand and elsewhere. In some provinces in China, reports are already surfacing of young women and girls bought and sold multiple times, shared by many men in one village, and subjected to sexual exploitation, labor exploitation, and domestic servitude (sometimes a combination of all three).
Footnotes:
(1) Principles and Guidelines on Children Associated with Armed Forces or Armed Groups, February 2007
(2) UNICEF, Fact Sheet, The Facts, pdf file and US Dept of State, Archive, The Facts About Child Soldiers
(3) War Child website, “Key facts and statistics about child soldiers”
(4) In CNN’s Report: “Stolen Kids Turned into Terrifying Killers, Feb 12, 2007, Ann O’Neil
(5) In CNN’s Report: “Stolen Kids Turned into Terrifying Killers, Feb 12, 2007, Ann O’Neil
(6) Business Insider, Child Labor Is Making A Disturbing Resurgence Around The World, Luke McKenna, Jan. 6, 2012
(7) World Vision US, More Countries Using Child Soldiers, Holly Frew and Shawna Templeton, June 20, 2013
(8) The Guardian, Illegal Kidney Trade Booms as New Organ is ‘sold every hour’, Denis Campbell & Nicola Davison in Shanghai, May 27, Girl smuggled into Britain to have her ‘organs harvested”, Steven Swinford, Senior Political Correspondent, 10/18/2013
(11) The Telegraph, “Chinese organ trafficking ring dismantled”, Tom Phillips in Shanghai, Aug 05, 2012
Boy, 6, has eyes gouged out in Chinese organ trafficking attack: Report”, Tanya Talaga, Staff Reporter, Aug 27 2013
(13) US Dept. of Justice website, Office of Public Affairs, “Six People Charged in Human Trafficking Conspiracy for Exploiting 400 Thai Farm Workers”, Sept. 2, 2010
(14)US Dept. of Justice website, Office of Public Affairs, “Wisconsin Couple Sentenced for Forcing a Woman to Work as Their Domestic Servant for 19 Years”, June 9, 2009
(15) US Dept. of Justice, “Garment Factory Owner Convicted in Largest Ever Human Trafficking Case Prosecuted by the Dept. of Justice, Feb 23, 2003
(16) ACLU website, David, ET AL. V. Signal International, LLC, ET AL., May 29, 2013
(17) ROC United, “Behind the Kitchen Door: A Multi-site Study of the Restaurant Industry”, Feb 14, 2011
(18) UNODC, Global Report on Trafficking on Persons, P. 10, 11,
(19) UNODC, Global Report on Trafficking on Persons, Conviction Rates, P 88
(20) Global Centurion Foundation, Fighting Modern Slavery by Focusing on Demand, “Mapping Human Trafficking”,