“I came to the United States with lots of dreams, but when I got here, my dreams were stolen (Molina).”
Florencia Molina, a victim of exploitation through human trafficking, said this when she was finally free from her harsh employer (Crary). Throughout every decade in history there has always been cases of humans being forced against their will into labor of any kind; sex, domestic work, factory, and entertainment- this is called human trafficking and it is a hidden crime that never gets the attention it should. Human trafficking is the exploitation and harboring of vulnerable individuals in harsh labor organizations without their full consent and has happened, historically, since the beginning of time. In Ancient Greece, prisoners of war were held as slaves; their laborers and domestic servants did not have any choice in the matter because of their slave trading industry, in Ancient Egypt, slaves built the Great Pyramids, there has been slave laborers in ancient Asian empire and in ancient Rome, and in the 15th century there was a complete rise in slave trade when the Europeans colonized and brought African Americans to the New World (“Human Trafficking”). In today’s world, this ten billion dollar industry that ranges all the way from sex-trade to organ harvesting, strips away the rights of 12.3-27 million people every year, all over the world. Trafficking was not even considered a strong dilemma until the 20th century, and had not been widely identified until the 21st century. In 1904, Brazil, Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland signed an international treaty that prohibited the selling into prostitution of white women. This was called “white slave trade” and even though these countries took a step to demolish selling of human beings, they neglected all those who are not white women. In 1921, the League of Nations began to see to the prevention of selling non-white women. In 1945 when the United Nations was created, they involved themselves to start to make laws to prevent human trafficking, however to this day, countries like Burma, Cuba, Iran, Kuwait, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan do not have any human trafficking policies and do not prosecute or prevent it (“Human Trafficking”). Trafficking has only increased since the breakup of the Soviet Union, especially in Europe. Secret migrants from Europe and North America get cheated into taking jobs in big sweatshops they cannot leave, and poverty-stricken families are held captive through peonage (“Human trafficking replacing”). Poor and famined children and adults who are not abducted, get enticed with promises of a better and well-funded life; tricked by these slave owners (“Human Trafficking”). It was not until 2001, when Indigenous peoples of all genders and ages from Africa and Latin America began to be forced into the recruitment of labor, and the leading countries in the trafficking business were Western Europe, Israel, Japan, and the U.S., that full attention was brought to human trafficking (“Human trafficking replacing”).
“The emerging picture is one where slavery, oppression and exploitation of society’s most vulnerable members have by no means been consigned to the past (Somavia).”
Human trafficking takes away the rights of vulnerable individuals whose cases, more often than not, get cast to the shadows where the assistance they need never comes; a crime that uses the weak as slave and sex workers is not being shed enough light on to change it or make any significant difference in these victim’s lives.
In 2004, President Bush and Florida Governor, Jeb Bush, signed legislation to laud human trafficking in the state, which is one of three worst entry states for human trafficking in the U.S., including Texas and New York. Bush shed light on Anna Rodriguez, who freed a victim named Marla, who had been taken from her home in Guatemala by a Florida man and the Florida federal officials said that all local police and social workers “will be trained to help find victims.” Public Service Announcements in Florida release a list of “signs you know a human trafficking victim” are: bruises, depression, fear, lack of passport, and not speaking on their own behalf. Many believe that President Bush only did this to gain positivity and votes for himself for his re-election campaign, and they are afraid even more now because the new lauds will not follow through if it was all for press. Immigrant advocates like the Florida bill but wish it had more “teeth.” They want not only the traffickers prosecuted but any employees under these employers that were involved as well. What they do not like is how it only focused on children and women and was not carried out well at all (“Bush Lauds Florida”). Immigrant advocates like the Florida bill but wish it had more “teeth.” They want not only the traffickers prosecuted but also any employees under these employers that were involved as well. What they did not appreciate about the laws was its neglection to any victims who were not women or children, and how it was not carried out well at all (“Bills would stiffen penalties”).
“Advocates acknowledge the [anti-trafficking] bills but they say they don’t go far enough (Bills would stiffen penalties”).”
In 1999, there was an exceptional case where Antonia Martinez, a 20-year-old, Mexican immigrant who came to Florida believing he would have a minimum wage, tomato picking job so that he could earn some money and take it back to his family, instead he ended up being beat relentlessly. Martinez got away from his employer and was able to go to officials to get his employer prosecuted. This almost never happens; the traffickers getting caught. Most of the time, trafficking victims are too afraid to come forward, in fear of their employer’s threats, and with the knowledge that trafficking cases are almost always considered a lost cause. The Federal Department of Homeland Security has always arrested the conspicuous and high profile trafficking employers. The smaller, everyday cases of human trafficking are often never carried out by local authorities and all those victims lay forgotten (“Bills would stiffen penalties”).
“We see sex cases being prioritized (by federal prosecutors) but other cases we’re having a hard time getting looked at (Steglich).”
Human trafficking is a “stubborn problem” that refuses to cease, but is also refusing to become solved (Crary). In 2006, advocates were trying to propose a new human trafficking law that significantly updated the old, with clarification on human trafficking cases (not just prostitution but hospitality and sweatshops and agriculture and domestic work.), attempted human trafficking, instructions for judges and juries on human trafficking cases, and prohibition of anyone financially benefitting from human trafficking whatsoever. Also proposed was for human trafficking to fall under racketeering, which is taken more seriously and for all local and high authorities to be inducted in training programs to identify traffickers and their victims and how to stop and help them. Back in 2006 it was extremely hard to gain support for an update on trafficking laws because most people view it as a lost cause. Even now in 2016, no one recognizes it as the extreme crime it is (“Bills would stiffen”).
From another perspective, human trafficking might be a legitimate business, and does not need to be seen as a problem. There are three main reasons human trafficking could be considered beneficial and does not need more publicity, However these reasons are only in favor of the actual traffickers. Human trafficking is the 3rd most profitable business in the world; $150.2 billion illegal profits are made each year from trafficking persons; that is a lot of money if this is your livelihood (Leger). If immigrants want jobs, why not give them some? Immigrants come to America to get jobs and trafficking does just that for them. And maybe not every person deserves human rights. Who is to say these “victims” of trafficking are not sadistic people who deserve what they are getting? No one (Hug).
These reason are not enough; no matter what argument is made to be in favor of human trafficking, it all comes down to the fact that it goes against the morals and ethics of a decent human being. The profits made from the trafficking of humans is illegal and these immigrants cannot make any money for their families in America if they are working slave wages; victims of this crime are of vulnerability and poverty and deserve all human rights. If the money were traced back to these businesses and it was found out it was through the trafficking of humans, the business would be shut down and the owners prosecuted. You can give an immigrant a job through trafficking but it is more often than not against their will and the conditions they work under is not what they planned on when they get a job. Traffickers prey on the weak; children, women and men of broken homes who are just trying to live their lives passably. Who are the traffickers to say they do not deserve the fundamental human rights? This slavery has gone on long enough and it has been proven through all of these points how it is not the priority it should be.
Imagine this: children getting ripped away from their families, mothers who will never see their loved ones again, men who are so desperate to support their family that they accept any kind of job unknowing what the outcome might be, young girls being forced into prostitution, and just normal people having dreams of a life where they did not have to be stripped away from their rights all because of a crime that does not get the awareness and aid that it needs for it to be able to stop. This abhorrent ring of inhuman acts should be ceased based on the principles of fundamental human rights but it cannot stop if awareness is not spread. Evils will continue to prosper if the goodwill of people never do anything about it. So aspire to change the world and tell people about human trafficking, change the state of mind of the people who believe it to be a lost cause.