Human Trafficking Trends, Figures and Statistics

Introduction 

Human trafficking or trafficking in persons is a huge problem and crime against humanity because it undermines self-determination and freedom of victims. Sweileh (2018) observes that human trafficking threatens global security and health as criminal organizations engage in illegal movement of persons for criminal activities without necessary security checks. In its latest report, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2018) shows that human trafficking remains a huge problem in the world; especially in armed conflict zones where children are trafficked into forced labor, sexual slavery and wars as child soldiers. Consequently, this research paper looks at human trafficking as a global problem and discusses its trends and causes, effects as well as possible solutions. 

The United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) states that human trafficking is a crime carried out with the intent to exploit; especially in conflict zones, and thrives under violent, brutal, and coercive situations. According to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), human trafficking involves the recruitment, transportation, harboring as well as receiving of people using illegal and improper ways that include force, abduction, coercion and fraud for illegal purposes that include sexual exploitation for women and girls and forced labor for both men and women. In a research study by the Scottish Government in 2018, many respondents associated human trafficking with modern slavery and sexual exploitation as well as prostitution. The implication is that most of the trafficked victims are used in sexual industry in different parts of the world, drug trafficking, manual labor, and begging as well as benefit fraud. In her article, Brinlee (2018) asserts that human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar industry that impacts almost all nations in the world. More fundamentally, sex trafficking is considered one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises where young girls and women are trafficked as sexual workers in different parts of the world. 

Brinlee (2018) observes that trafficking in children and women remains the fastest increasing crime in the world ensuring that traffickers reap big profits from their illegal activities. It is estimated that sex trafficking brings in about $100 billion annually. Further, more than 25 million people are used or trapped in forced labor because of human trafficking across the world. Again, over fifty percent if the victims in human trafficking face sexual exploitation irrespective of the purposes of their trafficking. For instance, in its 2014 report, UNODC observed that about 54% of all victims in human trafficking were trafficked for sexual exploitation or purposes. Therefore, sexual exploitation remains the most common form of human trafficking. In addition, the number of men trafficked for sexual exploitation has also been rising and perpetrators of this inhumane activity are not only men but also women are traffickers or leaders of trafficking organizations. Human trafficking victims may be subjected to both forced labor and sexual exploitation as they are trafficked to work in illicit activities like massage enterprises, bars, strip clubs as well as cantinas. 

In his paper, Weitzer (2014) identifies popular aspects of human trafficking. These include the increasing number of trafficked victims in the world, the growing magnitude of the problem, and human trafficking being the second as well as third largest type of organized criminal industry after drug trafficking and trading in weapons. In addition, Weitzer asserts that sex trafficking is more common and more serious compared to forced labor trafficking. Through comprehensive and in-depth research, Weitzer demonstrates that these four popular claims are valid and depict human trafficking as a growing international problem that requires effective solutions and policies to reduce its horrific effects on the victims as well as society. These trends also mirror the UNODC 2018 report where a majority of trafficked victims are for sexual exploitation and about 35% used in forced labor situations are women. The implication is that women and girls bear the brunt of human trafficking in different areas where some are trafficked for both forced labor and sexual exploitation. 

Again, the UNODC report agrees with the claims that Weitzer makes as the overall number of trafficked victims continues to increase. The growing numbers of reported cases of trafficking may imply that more people are being trafficked or law enforcement agencies in different countries have increased their capacities to detect and identify victims within their jurisdictions. Armed conflicts in different parts of the world exacerbates the problem of human trafficking as victims in these conflict zones become targets for traffickers. Lewis (2019) posits that populations fleeing from conflict zones like Syria, Rohingya refugees crisis, and political instabilities in countries like Venezuela and Sudan provide a fertile ground for traffickers because of weak government structures and systems. 

Causes and Effects of Human Trafficking 

Human trafficking exists because of different reasons and situations in the world. Imperatively, research studies show that different causes work together to make victims vulnerable to human trafficking; willingly or unwillingly. These studies demonstrate that human trafficking is a complex problem influenced by socioeconomic, political as well as cultural factors that are specific to individual trafficking patterns and nations where trafficking takes place (Niewiaroska, 2015). Some of the common reasons or causes of human trafficking are the existing socio-cultural and economic conditions that make population desire to migrate so that they can attain better living conditions. These include high poverty levels that deprive people economic power and better lifestyles, oppression and lack of political freedoms as well as rights. 

Further, political instability and armed conflicts make people vulnerable to traffickers who promise to transform the lives of their victims with lucrative jobs abroad and political as well as personal freedoms. Internal unrest and natural disasters, displacement and destabilization of populations are bound to increase vulnerability to exploitation and abuse through human trafficking. These factors push the potential victims into the hands of traffickers. However, pull factors may also exist in regions that are politically stable with guaranteed personal freedoms. Most of the pull factors are economic and socio-cultural. For example, globalization has made the world a small village where people understand what happens in other parts of the globe (Richmond, 2017). Therefore, due to better opportunities and living conditions necessitated by better economic prospects in other countries, many people are lured into human trafficking rings so that they can live better. Imperatively, poverty and wealth are relative aspects that may lead to subtle activities in human trafficking where victims choose to be trafficked so as to move from poverty conditions to better living conditions irrespective of what they will do in the destination or host countries. 

In addition, human trafficking, especially sexual exploitation of women and girls is a cultural issue due to social and cultural dynamics of supply and demand. For instance, illiteracy, few educational and employment opportunities make women and girls vulnerable to traffickers. The engrained patriarchy in society and well as media and new technologies depicts women and girls as objects at the whim of men whose main purpose is to satisfy sexual pleasures of men (Niewiaroska, 2015). Further, attitudes in society in relation to women and the increased role that women play in demand for sex through pornography make women vulnerable to sexual exploitation through trafficking. The implication is that human trafficking is caused by many socioeconomic, cultural and political conditions that make victims not only vulnerable but also without any other option but to fall to traffickers. 

In its 2018 report, America’s State Department posits that human trafficking denies millions of people across the world of their inherent dignity and freedom. Further, human trafficking undermines national security and leads to market distortion as well as the enrichment of transnational terrorists and criminal organizations and individuals (State Department, 2018). More fundamentally, human trafficking is an affront to the universal declaration of human rights and values. Terrorist outfits have used human trafficking to recruit members as well as execute heinous acts of violence at innocent people. As such, human trafficking is a threat to international security and threatens the foundation of human rights. Therefore, by combating human trafficking, the world will reduce the moral violations meted at its victims and safeguard international peace as well as security. 

In her article, Ochab (2018) asserts that human trafficking is a 21 st century pandemic that can only be equated to modern slavery. The end goal of human trafficking include more crimes; for instance, enslavement, physical violence as well as sexual exploitation and violence. The abduction of Yazidi women and girls in 2014 is a good example of the effects of human trafficking on its victims. These women faced forced conversion into Islam, forced marriages, forced abortions, as well as physical and mental abuse. Again, some underwent forced labor and rape as well as sexual abuse. 

Conclusion 

It is evident that human trafficking is driven by demand and supply issues in different social and cultural situations in the world. The world needs to combat human trafficking with the aim of ensuring that inherent dignity and freedoms is attained. Human trafficking leads to many other crimes and denies its victims the freedom and dignity. Combating human trafficking remains a challenge, especially due to globalization and advancement in media and new technologies. The implication is that while progress is being made to tackle the issue, policymakers must seek better solutions to issues that exacerbate the situation. 

References 

Brinlee, M. (2018). 13 Sex Trafficking Statistics That Put The Worldwide Problem Into 

Perspective. Retrieved from https://www.bustle.com/p/13-sex-trafficking-statistics-that-put-the-worldwide-problem-into-perspective-9930150 

Lewis, N. (2019). UN Human Trafficking report: Record number of girls reported as victims. 

Retrieved from https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/07/world/un-2018-global-report-on-trafficking-in-persons/index.html 

National Institute of Justice (NIJ) (2019). Human Trafficking. Retrieved from 

https://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/human-trafficking/pages/welcome.aspx 

Niewiaroska, K. B. (2015). A Global Study of Human Trafficking Legislation: Causes and 

Effects. Retrieved from https://as.nyu.edu/content/dam/nyu-as/politics/documents/Niewiarowska.pdf 

Ochab, E. U. (2018). Human Trafficking is a Pandemic of the 21 st Century. Retrieved from 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewelinaochab/2018/07/26/human-trafficking-is-a-pandemic-of-the-21st-century/#79b4c4fe6195 

Richmond, J. C. (2017). The Root Cause of Trafficking is Traffickers. Retrieved from 

https://www.traffickinginstitute.org/the-root-cause-of-trafficking-is-traffickers/ 

Scottish Government (2018). Human Trafficking research: summary of findings. Retrieved from 

https://www.gov.scot/publications/human-trafficking-research-summary-of-findings/ 

Sweileh, W. M. (2018). Research trends on human trafficking: a bibliometric analysis using 

Scopus database. Globalization and Health , Vol.14, No.106. 

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) (2018). Global Report on Trafficking in 

Persons, 2018. Retrieved from https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/glotip/2018/GLOTiP_2018_BOOK_web_small.pdf 

U.S State of Department (2018). Trafficking in Persons Report. Retrieved from 

https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/282798.pdf 

Weitzer, R. (2014). New Directions in Research on Human Trafficking. The Annals of the 

American Academy , vol.653, pp.1-19. Retrieved from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0002716214521562