Briefing Paper: Human Trafficking

BRIEFING PAPER: HUMAN TRAFFICKING
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Abstract
Human trafficking which is seen as modern slave trade is a serious crime under both international and national legal frameworks. It exposes victims to economic exploitation with many of them being women and children under the age of 18 years. Important to note also is the fact that human trafficking has raised important human rights issues, especially concerning women and children and stakeholders are starting to rethink their approach to this societal issue. Further, human trafficking has emerged as the third biggest criminal industry next to drug trafficking and illegal arms. Like the latter two, the human trafficking industry has helped in promoting proliferation of other crimes, including but not limited to child abuse, prostitution and violence against women. With the help of existing literature, this paper seeks to explicate the various dimensions of human trafficking and how it has affected the society at the individual, national and international level. The paper also offers some recommendations as to the best way forward in regard to dealing with the problem of the modern slave trade. 1.0 Background Information
The thirteenth amendment of United States constitution outlawed slavery. Essentially, by 1981 other countries had followed suit and banished slavery. However, while the legal type of slavery was abolished, the illegal type of slavery was left to thrive. Illegal slavery, hereafter referred to as human trafficking predated the US for millennia in places such as Egypt and ancient Rome has been virtually in every country since then. While modern day slavery is different, it is not a new phenomenon and largely involves the exploitation of human being for profit. Human trafficking is considered a serious crime as well as a violation of human rights and freedoms. Over the last couple of years, the issue of trafficking has featured predominately on the international agenda with governments, and human rights lobby groups calling for more action to help curb this crime.
Human trafficking has three inherent element; the act, the means and the purpose. The act involves recruitment, transfer, transportation or harboring of persons. Means encompasses the use of force, abduction, coercion, vulnerability, power misuse or paying persons who have control or access to the victim. The purpose encompasses exploitation in terms of sex or forced labor or removal of organs. It has become obvious that human trafficking has also helped in the proliferation of other crimes and more specifically an increase in prostitution, drug trafficking and drug abuse and illegal arms dealings. In line with this, calls for increased efforts have increased and governments are being pressurized to establish a common international framework policy that will effectively help in preventing, prosecuting and protecting the victims of this illegal activity. Dubbed as modern slave trade, the human trafficking industry has had numerous negativities including but not limited to increased black market activities, increased violence, and human rights violations among others.
2.0 Introduction
The topic about human trafficking has instigated a heated debate over the ...