Human Trafficking and the Controversies Involved

Human Trafficking
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Institution:
Human Trafficking
Introduction
International Labour Organization (ILO) approximates that there are 12.3 million victims of human trafficking globally at any given time. Out of this number, 2.4 million people are believed to be toiling in forced labour in different parts of the world. The United States, on the other hand, is believed to be receiving 14,500 to 17,500 people every year from human trafficking. The quoted figures by various entities, including ILO, on the huge number of people falling victims of human trafficking, shows how human trafficking has become a prevalent problem. Human trafficking does not have a uniform definition. However, several scholarly sources define it as an act of obtaining human beings either through fraud, coercion by force and exploit them sexually, in forced labour or in any other way for monetary gain. This paper explores the origin of human trafficking, its schemes inside and outside the United States, its effects and prospective measures of dealing with it.
Origin of Human Trafficking
Going by the definition provided above, it is convincible to argue that the slave trade was indeed a form of human trafficking. Therefore, it remains as the first act of human trafficking only that it targeted people of colour. Upon illegalizing the slave trade in Britain and the United States in 1807 and 1820 respectively, white slavery emerged (Cordisco Tsai, Lim & Nhanh, 2020). Unlike the initial slave trade, white slavery targeted white women who were forcefully obtained and exploited sexually. Several organizations were established in the early 1900s to put an end to white slavery. However, it didn't take long before modern-day slavery, which is the latest form of human trafficking, took centre stage thanks to globalization. Today, International Labour Organization projects that the forced labour element of human trafficking generates approximately $150 billion per year globally. A reflection on the types of human trafficking discussed in this section, it is convincible to argue that human trafficking originated from the need of elite human beings to exploit the less fortunate for monetary and sexual fulfilment.
Causes of Human Trafficking
According to (Yousaf, 2018), there are five major causes of human trafficking. The first element is the need for a better life by the victims. Calamities such as war, poverty and natural disasters are cited as some of the major reasons why people flee their countries of origin to become refugees in other countries. Traffickers, on the other hand take advantage of such people who are usually susceptible to being coerced into the industry. Additionally, studies have shown that 98% of bought and sold human beings for sexual purposes are women and children (Yousaf, 2018). This number is high among women and children because of their vulnerability in the society thanks to the patriarchy and gender inequality. The rising demand for cheap labour, especially in agriculture, restaurants and domestic chores has seen the surge in human trafficking. The lucrative nature of the industry in terms of the revenue it generates is also cited as another factor that promotes human trafficking. The final factor that is cited as a c...