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Date: November 22, 2024 Fri
Time: 11:36 am
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Results for labor trafficking
16 results foundAuthor: Ball, Rochelle Title: Australia’s Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme: Managing Vulnerabilities to Exploitation Summary: As part of the Australian Government’s response to trafficking in persons, the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) has undertaken preliminary research to assess the risks and protective factors for labour trafficking and to identify matters for priority research. In this context, a literature review is presented of Australia’s Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme (PSWPS), which is designed to enable Pacific Islanders to temporarily work in the horticultural sector and following a recent announcement, to also allow East Timorese access to tourism work in Australia. The paper is informed by literature relating to the longer running New Zealand Recognised Seasonal Employment (RSE) Program, supplemented with targeted stakeholder consultations conducted between 2008 and 2010 in the Pacific. At this early stage, the PSWPS is regarded as a positive development in the legal sourcing and use of overseas temporary labour but its planned growth will nonetheless be challenging. The RSE may provide valuable lessons for the recently announced expansion of the PSWPS and other temporary workers schemes for Pacific Islanders. Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2011. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, No. 432: Accessed November 22, 2011 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/E/0/C/%7BE0C1EEB4-B893-489E-98F3-8FF9BAF3E8C9%7Dtandi432.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Australia URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/E/0/C/%7BE0C1EEB4-B893-489E-98F3-8FF9BAF3E8C9%7Dtandi432.pdf Shelf Number: 123428 Keywords: Human TraffickingLabor ExploitationLabor MarketsLabor Trafficking |
Author: Zhang, Sheldon X. Title: Looking for a Hidden Population: Trafficking of Migrant Laborers in San Diego County Summary: Although labor trafficking has received much attention in recent years, there is limited empirical research into the depth, breadth, and scope of the problem. The scarcity of reliable estimates on labor trafficking activities has long caught the attention of major international organizations and government agencies. Both policy makers and advocacy groups recognize that anti-trafficking campaigns cannot gain much credibility without the support of empirical evidence, and more importantly, reliable statistical estimates. However, empirical research on labor trafficking is no easy undertaking. It is expensive and faces major methodological challenges. Taking advantage of recent advances in sampling methodology as well as unique access to unauthorized migrant workers in San Diego County through a partnership with a community organization, this study attempts to answer some of the basic questions confronting current anti-trafficking discourse. The overarching goal of collecting empirical data that can produce valid estimates on the scope of labor trafficking activities was divided into the following two objectives: 1. To provide statistically sound estimates of the prevalence of trafficking victimization among unauthorized migrant laborers in San Diego. 2. To investigate the types of trafficking victimization experienced by these laborers. Details: San Deigo, CA: San Diego State University, 2012. 155p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 4, 2012 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/240223.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/240223.pdf Shelf Number: 127118 Keywords: Bonded LaborHuman Trafficking (California, U.S.)Illegal MigrantsLabor TraffickingMigrant Labor |
Author: Cherti, Myriam Title: The UK's Response to Human Trafficking: Fit for Purpose? Summary: In recent years, there has been a growing concern about a potential link between major sporting events and an increase in human trafficking for the purposes of forced labour and prostitution. At the very least, it is clear that events like the Olympics provide an opportunity for host countries to reassess their anti-trafficking strategies. The aims of this short briefing paper are threefold: to provide a short overview of the available evidence about the scale of human trafficking in the UK; to review the general UK policy response to trafficking and the more specific measures designed for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and to examine areas within the current UK strategy that could be improved, with reference to international good practice. Quantifying the scale of trafficking to the UK is a significant challenge: estimates of the number of people trafficked to the UK have varied widely, from a few hundreds to tens of thousands. The UK’s response to trafficking has developed rapidly, and policy has come a long way from the days of ad hoc police raids and support solely through charitable-funded voluntary sector agencies. Now the UK has, in the UKHTC, a dedicated agency tasked with coordinating the British response. However, the UK continues to face significant challenges in responding to trafficking and its approach still falls short of international best practice. There are four key challenges facing the UK: identifying victims; balancing immigration management and victim protection; oversight and scrutiny; and addressing demand for trafficking and exploitation. Details: London: Institute for Public Policy Research, 2012. 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 16, 2012 at http://www.ippr.org/images/media/files/publication/2012/07/beyondirregularity-trafficking_July2012_9382.pdf Year: 2012 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.ippr.org/images/media/files/publication/2012/07/beyondirregularity-trafficking_July2012_9382.pdf Shelf Number: 127229 Keywords: Human Trafficking (U.K.)Labor TraffickingSex TraffickingSporting Events |
Author: United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking Title: Human Trafficking Sentinel Surveillance. Viet Nam - China Border 2010. Lang Son | Lao Cai | Quang Ninh Summary: The Mekong region contains diverse patterns of human trafficking. They are both internal and crossborder, highly organized and small-scale, involving sex, labour or marriage through both formal and informal recruitment mechanisms, and can involve men, women, boys, girls and entire families. China is a key destination country for victims of human trafficking from Viet Nam. Due to the underground nature of sex, labour, and marriage trafficking, it is hard to estimate the prevalence of human trafficking in either country, though one 2010 estimate from the Viet Nam Ministry of Public Security estimates that 60 percent of Vietnamese trafficking cases involves trafficking to China. The aim of UNIAP's sentinel surveillance is to assess the situation of Vietnamese deportees being returned from China and, using this information, map trafficking trends and patterns; establish types and profiles of cross-border trafficking victims; and document how brokers and traffickers operate to put Vietnamese in exploitative situations. Through the latter half of 2010, UNIAP researchers were deployed to Lang Son, Lao Cai, and Quang Ninh international border checkpoints to conduct site surveys and structured, indepth interviews with a non-representative sample of 93 male and female Vietnamese citizens deported from China. The research uncovered undocumented labour migration that sometimes involved human trafficking, and sometimes did not. The majority of the 93 deportees were, in fact, undocumented labour migrants who were deported due to immigration violations, and who had not been exploited or abused. However, 20.5 percent of the cases were likely human trafficking cases, including labour, marriage, and sex trafficking. There were also proactively intercepted cases that both Vietnamese and Chinese police identified as possible sex or marriage trafficking, where the likely victim was saved before being entered into an exploitative situation. Due to a variety of factors, including logistical factors related to difficulty in accessing the appropriate checkpoint in time given little advance notice, the sample of 93 deportees does not constitute a representative sample. However, since so little research has been conducted systematically examining Viet Nam-China trafficking into sex, marriage, and labour, these cases are examined with more emphasis on rich qualitative description of vulnerability, exploitation, and trafficking, supplemented with quantitative analysis. The beginning of this report begins with two case studies - one marriage trafficking case and one sex trafficking case - to illustrate the details of the broker-trafficker networks, extent of exploitation and perspectives of victims right from the start. There are six key recommendations proposed, based on the seven key findings from this round of sentinel surveillance. Recommendations for addressing risk factors among vulnerable populations are proposed for trafficking prevention and safe migration policy, as well as outreach and community-based work, primarily on the Viet Nam side but also where exploited Vietnamese are in China. Examining broker-trafficker networks and the exploitative employers, families, and brothels they feed aims to support a stronger investigative and protective response on both the Viet Nam and China sides, and to this end recommendations for where to target labour, marriage, and sex trafficking rings are also provided. Identifying knowledge and skill gaps in both government and non-government personnel working in antihuman trafficking and immigration control aims to help target capacity building and reduce mistreatment of trafficking victims thought to be immigration violators and thus criminals. Details: Bangkok: United Nations Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking, 2011. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2014 at: http://www.no-trafficking.org/reports_docs/siren/SentinelVTNCHN.pdf Year: 2011 Country: Asia URL: http://www.no-trafficking.org/reports_docs/siren/SentinelVTNCHN.pdf Shelf Number: 132315 Keywords: Criminal NetworksHuman TraffickingImmigrationLabor TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Owens, Colleen Title: Understanding the Organization, Operation, and Victimization Process of Labor Trafficking in the United States Summary: This study examines the organization, operation, and victimization process of labor trafficking across multiple industries in the United States. It examines labor trafficking victim abuse and exploitation along a continuum, from victims' recruitment for work in the United States; through their migration experiences (if any), employment victimization experiences, and efforts to seek help; to their ultimate escape and receipt of services. Data for this study came from a sample of 122 closed labor trafficking victim service records from service providers in four US cities. In addition, interviews were conducted with labor trafficking survivors, local and federal law enforcement officials, legal advocates, and service providers in each site to better understand the labor trafficking victimization experience, the networks involved in labor trafficking and the escape and removal process, and the barriers to investigation and prosecution of labor trafficking cases. All the victims in this study sample were immigrants working in the United States. The vast majority of our sample (71 percent) entered the United States on a temporary visa. The most common temporary visas were H-2A visas for work in agriculture and H-2B visas for jobs in hospitality, construction, and restaurants. Our study also identified female domestic servitude victims who had arrived in the United States on diplomatic, business, or tourist visas. Individuals who entered the United States without authorization were most commonly trafficked in agriculture and domestic work. Labor trafficking victims' cases were coded to collect information on their labor trafficking experience, as well as any forms of civil labor violations victims encountered. All victims in our sample experienced elements of force, fraud and coercion necessary to substantiate labor trafficking. Elements of force, fraud and coercion included document fraud; withholding documents; extortion; sexual abuse and rape; discrimination; psychological manipulation and coercion; torture; attempted murder; and violence and threats against themselves and their family members. In addition to criminal forms of abuse, we also found that labor trafficking victims faced high rates of civil labor exploitation. These forms of civil labor exploitation included, but were not limited to, being paid less than minimum wage; being paid less than promised; wage theft; and illegal deductions. While legal under some visa programs and labor law, employers/traffickers also controlled the housing, food, and transportation of a significant proportion of our sample. Immigration status was a powerful mechanism of control - with employers threatening both workers with visas and unauthorized workers with arrest as a means of keeping them in forced labor. Despite 71 percent of our sample arriving in the United States for work on a visa, by the time victims escaped and were connected to service providers, 69 percent were unauthorized. By and large, labor trafficking investigations were not prioritized by local or federal law enforcement agencies. This lack of prioritization was consistent across all study sites and across all industries in which labor trafficking occurred. The US Department of Labor was rarely involved. Survivors mostly escaped on their own and lived for several months or years before being connected to a specialized service provider. A lack of awareness and outreach, coupled with the victims' fear of being unauthorized, inhibited the identification of survivors. Policy and practice recommendations are provided to improve identification and response to labor trafficking and guide future research on labor trafficking victimization. Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2014. 307p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 22, 2014 at: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/413249-Labor-Trafficking-in-the-United-States.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/413249-Labor-Trafficking-in-the-United-States.pdf Shelf Number: 133798 Keywords: Forced Labor (U.S.)Human TraffickingImmigrant LaborImmigrantsLabor TraffickingVictimization |
Author: Title: ICE and USCIS Could Improve Data Quality and Exchange to Help Identify Potential Human Trafficking Cases Summary: Although January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the month kicked off with a startling report revealing that human traffickers are exploiting the US visa process to smuggle victims into the country. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) data from 2005 to 2014 indicates that work and fiance visas were the predominant means by which more than half of the human traffickers known to federal law enforcement legally smuggled victims into the United States, according to an audit by the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of the Inspector General (IG). The IG also determined that 274 subjects of ICE human trafficking investigations successfully petitioned USCIS to bring 425 family members and fiances into the United States. ICE could not say exactly how many visa petitioners were human traffickers; however, 18 of the 274 had been arrested for trafficking-related crimes, including sex trafficking, labor trafficking, peonage, and involuntary servitude. The IG's report explained that fiance visas are used to lure human trafficking victims to the US as part of marriage fraud schemes. The traffickers confiscate the victims' passports and often subject them to psychological and physical abuse, such as forced sex and/or forced labor. The auditors determined that ICE and USCIS could improve data quality to better identify instances of human trafficking. Lack of communication between ICE and USCIS also created vulnerabilities in the visa process. "ICE had to extensively manipulate its system to provide us with reasonably reliable data for our data matching and analysis," the report stated. "USCIS did not always collect names and other identifiers of human traffickers that victims had provided in their T visa applications. Due to incomplete data, we were limited in our ability to match, analyze, and draw conclusions from the components' databases." The IG made three recommendations: Recommendation 1: Develop and implement procedures to capture the names and other identifying information on human traffickers found in victims' statements, which are submitted with T and U petitions, in USCIS information systems. Recommendation 2: Collaborate with ICE to institute a mutually acceptable procedure for transferring USCIS data on alleged human traffickers to ICE. Recommendation 3: Collaborate with USCIS to identify a mutually acceptable procedure for obtaining names and other identifying information on alleged human traffickers that is available in USCIS systems. ICE and USCIS concurred, saying they would address the IG's recommendations. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2016. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: OIG-16-17: Accessed January 25, 2016 at: https://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2016/OIG-16-17-Jan16.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.oig.dhs.gov/assets/Mgmt/2016/OIG-16-17-Jan16.pdf Shelf Number: 137658 Keywords: Customs EnforcementForced LaborHuman SmugglingHuman TraffickingImmigration EnforcementLabor TraffickingSex Trafficking |
Author: Sikka, Anette Title: Labour Trafficking in Canada: Indicators, Stakeholders, and Investigative Methods Summary: Human trafficking is a complex phenomenon, touching on issues of migration, employment, prostitution and crime control. The purpose of this research project is to provide information on labour trafficking in Canada that will assist law enforcement and other criminal justice bodies in identifying and investigating these cases. In addition to an analysis and summary of relevant international and domestic laws and policies, the report synthesizes the existing body of literature, and analyzes published cases of labour trafficking in Canada. The literature review suggests that the topic of labour trafficking has not received significant attention as its own subject matter and merits critical analysis in the legal, jurisprudential and policy context. A case review found little evidence linking labour trafficking in Canada to established organized crime. Further, analysis found no forced labour situations reported as potential cases of trafficking of Canadians or permanent residents outside of the sex trade or criminal activity, such as drug trafficking. The analysis of labour trafficking was focused upon 'legal' occupations, which resulted in published cases that involved potential labour trafficking cases that were mainly related to migrant workers in Canada. A key finding of the report is that cases exist in stories reported by the media, as well as academics, not-for profit and legal literatures, which may meet the legal definition of labour trafficking, but have not been conceptualized or classified as human trafficking for the purposes of labour exploitation. This report identifies a number of exploitative labour practices that can become part of the spectrum of human trafficking activities. An analysis of cases identifies a combination of deceptive recruitment practices and aggravating exploitative work arrangements which result in situations that explicitly or implicitly prevent migrants from leaving employment situations in a manner that conforms to legal definitions of human trafficking. In particular, case analysis reveals activities by recruiters and employers that place individuals in exploitative situations that they are unable to leave. Some of these fears arise from physical threats or abuse, but also from debt bondage or threats of criminalization. For instance, examples are documented where exploitation, whether through inadequate working conditions, insufficient housing, confiscation of identity documents, or physical abuse, exist as factors contributing to a migrants' unwillingness or inability to escape exploitative work situations. The existence of high debt or extreme poverty in a home country can leave migrants vulnerable to exploitative working conditions. Threats, including overt reference to legal actions such as deportation, when used in the context of these exploitative conditions, may constitute trafficking in persons. These factors of coercion or deception and exploitation, when considered jointly, suggest a spectrum of activities that can be considered labour trafficking; which have been, hitherto, given little consideration as a form of human trafficking. The report notes a series of indicators which may aid stakeholders in the detection, investigation, prosecution and amelioration of trafficking generally, and specifically in a labour context. Noting a general dearth of human trafficking cases, and of labour trafficking specifically, the report finds that physical harm, as is often the case in sex trafficking, is a notable, albeit rare, indicator of labour trafficking. Most frequently, cases of labour trafficking come to the attention of authorities when there is a connection to employment standards, occupational health and safety, and labour rights violations that are identified by NGOs. It is not common that police services or government authorities identify cases of labour trafficking directly through their dealings with migrant workers. A gender analysis of the cases indicates that the involvement of youth and females is more common in domestic care or isolated work situations where there is evidence of labour trafficking. Such cases share characteristics with cases of sex trafficking, and appear more likely to also include elements of sexual exploitation. The study also notes victims' lack of awareness of their rights and resources (including an individual's inability to understand they are a victim of human trafficking) and a marked reticence amongst victims to report exploitative work arrangements, as a key characteristic in labour trafficking cases as well as an obstacle to anti-trafficking activities. Employer violations of basic obligations, such as building codes, may not only portend greater offences occurring in the work place, such as egregious exploitation and coercive environments, but may also provide an intervention point for authorities. Federal, provincial/territorial, and municipal stakeholders could therefore benefit from greater information - and intelligence-sharing amongst regulatory and policing agencies to ensure relevant sharing and escalation of employer contraventions across jurisdictions. With potential indicators of labour trafficking identified, there is a suggestion to move toward a definition of forced labour that considers coercion not only through physical force but through several interlocking and overlapping barriers which prevent potentially trafficked individuals from leaving an exploitative workplace. A challenge for researchers and authorities is to define where the regulatory infractions of employment standards end and the criminal offence of human trafficking begin, and to revise trafficking models and anti-trafficking practices accordingly. This work could benefit from further research into existing reported cases of human trafficking and more generally into cases documenting exploitative labour practices experienced by migrant workers, Canadian citizens, and permanent residents alike. Included with the report are annexes of Canadian cases of labour trafficking of a non-sexual nature. Each incident is coded for: location; means by which the incident came to the attention of authorities; any identified law enforcement response or investigative methods; characteristics of victims; activities potentially classified as coercive or deceptive; activities potentially classified as exploitation; any prosecutorial or judicial determinations regarding the status of victims (trafficked or not trafficked); and, any non-governmental or governmental organizations involved either in identification or service provision. Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2013. 111p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 13, 2016 at: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cn63310954-eng.pdf Year: 2013 Country: Canada URL: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/lbrr/archives/cn63310954-eng.pdf Shelf Number: 131164 Keywords: Forced laborHuman TraffickingLabor ExploitationLabor Trafficking |
Author: Beatson, Jesse Title: The Exploitation of Foreign Workers in Our Own Backyards: An examination of labour exploitation and labour trafficking in Canada Summary: Background - Many employers who engage in the exploitation of foreign workers have experienced impunity due to factors such as lack of interest by law enforcement agencies, ambiguous or non-existent criminal justice legislation, poor labour standards and/or untenable complaint mechanisms, and government programs for foreign workers with inadequate protections in place to safeguard human rights. - Changes to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) in Canada has resulted in an increase in foreign workers and many of them are quite vulnerable to actual and potential exploitation. - A lot of reports and advocacy efforts focus on trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation so the picture many people have of the nature and scope of trafficking in Canada may be skewed. More research is needed on labour-related abuses, both to better understand this phenomenon and also to assess the merits of the "trafficking" framework - The current legal definition of labour trafficking has some limitations and may need to be improved so that better protection and justice for victimized foreign workers in Canada can be provided. Countless numbers of men, women, and children are exploited around the world by unscrupulous employers. Impunity is all too commonly experienced by these employers, regardless of whether they operate in developing or developed world contexts. This impunity is due to a combination of possible factors such as lack of interest or effort by law enforcement agencies, ambiguous or non-existent criminal justice legislation, poor labour standards and/or untenable complaint mechanisms, and government foreign labour programs designed without adequate worker protections. This report was prepared for CATHII (Comite D'Action Contre La Traite Humaine Interne Et Internationale) during the spring and summer of 2015 to investigate labour exploitation and labour trafficking in the Canadian context. Recent changes to Canadian immigration programs, specifically the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP), has resulted in a comparatively greater increase in non-nationals entering the country versus permanent immigrants (Thomas 2010). The potentially mutually beneficial and positive aspects of the TFWP notwithstanding; in practice, these foreign workers lack access to the same rights and privileges as Canadian citizens or permanent residents and this makes them vulnerable (Macovei 2012). Canadian employers who engage in exploitative practices of foreign workers may be the most immediate and easily identifiable cause of these labour abuses, but the policy context should be considered a structural factor that influences how easy it is to carry these abuses out. According to a government issued pamphlet "Canadian law protects all workers in Canada, including temporary foreign workers... The exploitation of a foreign national may violate Canadian law and human rights" (Temporary Foreign Workers). Nevertheless, Fudge and MacPhail (2009) have argued that the mechanisms designed to monitor and protect the rights of foreign workers are in fact not well developed or monitored and that the actual and potential exploitation of foreign workers "undermines the legitimacy of the program (TFWP) both within and outside of Canada" (p. 43). Thus, one of the objectives of this report - through compiling several documented cases where foreign workers have been exploited - is to shed light on patterns and trends that might point towards problems with the current TFWP system. Case summaries provide vivid testimonies that changes may need to be made to immigration policy to ensure more robust protections of human rights. A second objective of this report is to join others who are beginning to address a disparity in trafficking research and advocacy work in Canada. Within the community of NGOs in Canada dedicated to issues of human trafficking, the heaviest emphasis of research and advocacy efforts tends to be placed on trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Consequently, the victims of trafficking practices are thought primarily to be young women forced into the sex trade, brought into Canada from foreign countries under false pretences. While efforts made on behalf of individuals fitting this general description are laudable and ideally will continue to be strengthened in coming years, an unfortunate side effect of the intense focus on this particular trafficking narrative is that it gives a misleading impression about the nature and scope of trafficking-related abuses in Canada. By expanding the focus of research and advocacy around trafficking issues to include labour exploitation, victims of these activities, increasingly being accepted as the most common form of trafficking globally, will have a better chance at justice and protection. Potential future victims will also hopefully receive better safeguarding of their human rights. Details: Montreal: CATHII (Comite D'Action Contre La Traite Humaine Interne Et Internationale), 2015. 52p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2016 at: http://www.cathii.org/sites/www.cathii.org/files/The%20Exploitation%20of%20Foreign%20Workers%20Report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Canada URL: http://www.cathii.org/sites/www.cathii.org/files/The%20Exploitation%20of%20Foreign%20Workers%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 140275 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingImmigrantsLabor ExploitationLabor TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime Title: Trafficking in persons from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar to Thailand Summary: The present report, "Trafficking in persons from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar to Thailand" is the result of a partnership between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ). In 2016, TIJ invited UNODC to collaboratively develop an extensive research report on trafficking in persons from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar to Thailand with the objectives of increasing evidence-based information relating to trafficking in persons, reviewing the current state of knowledge, identifying existing information gaps and enhancing the capacity of States to generate, access and use information on trafficking in persons. This report is the first of its kind and marks the launch of an ongoing research and strategic policy partnership between UNODC and TIJ. Previous UNODC reports on trafficking in persons have covered the subject of trafficking to Thailand as one important flow in a region rife with trafficking cases. Previous reports have explored trafficking primarily from a law enforcement perspective and highlighted the need for strengthened legal frameworks, law enforcement responses, including the need for proactive investigations, and stronger criminal justice frameworks. This report, while emphasising the way forward in preventing and combating trafficking to Thailand, also explores the many facets of the trafficking phenomenon itself, including the profiles of victims and traffickers, the contemporary push and pull factors for trafficking, the routes taken by regular and irregular migrants to Thailand, the fees paid to smugglers and traffickers and the modi operandi of traffickers and their networks. Drawing on the available literature and qualitative data collected through interviews with experts in the four target countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand) the report presents in detail the current picture of trafficking in persons to Thailand and highlights challenges and opportunities for combating trafficking. While gaps in information remain and the overall picture remains incomplete, the findings presented in this report rely on a solid evidence base and may be useful for researchers, policy makers, governments and others interested in improving the response to combating trafficking, as well as approaches to identifying and supporting victims. The report consists of six chapters. The introduction (Chapter I) presents information on the topic covered, the background and context of the study, the study's purpose and goals, and methodology. Chapters II to IV examine the levels and characteristics of trafficking in persons in Cambodia (Chapter II), Lao PDR (III), and Myanmar (IV). Each of these chapters follows an identical structure by (1) summarising the available data, (2) exploring the causes of trafficking in persons, (3) examining the different types of trafficking and the profile of victims, (4) documenting the means and routes used for trafficking to Thailand, (5) analysing the exploitation of victims by their traffickers and (6) exploring the profile of the traffickers and trafficking networks. Details: Bangkok: UNODC, 2017. 261p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2017 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/southeastasiaandpacific/Publications/2017/Trafficking_in_persons_to_Thailand_report.pdf Year: 2017 Country: Asia URL: https://www.unodc.org/documents/southeastasiaandpacific/Publications/2017/Trafficking_in_persons_to_Thailand_report.pdf Shelf Number: 147139 Keywords: Child TraffickingHuman SmugglingHuman TraffickingLabor TraffickingSexual Exploitation |
Author: Latonero, Mark Title: Technology and Labor Trafficking in a Network Society. General Overview, Emerging Innovations, and Philippines Case Study Summary: While interviewing survivors of labor trafficking for this report, researchers heard from a young woman in the Philippines who applied for domestic work in the Middle East. She recounted the way her friend, already working abroad, had called and sent texts of encouragement and eventually put her in touch with a recruiter. She was promised that her documents would be arranged with an employer before her flight to begin work. Upon her departure, the recruiter said that plans had changed. She was told her work papers and airline ticket would be issued in Malaysia. The woman was put on a boat and spent over a week crossing the Sulu Sea from one island to another. She was isolated. Her only means of communication was her mobile phone. Not wanting to worry her family (they had high hopes for her employment), she communicated only with her friend, asking for advice and reassurance. Even if she had been able to access the Internet, it is unclear whether she possessed the skills or knowledge to search for the appropriate online resources. Once in Malaysia, she was put into a van with others. While traveling to an unknown destination they were apprehended by police. Interrogated and imprisoned, the young woman managed to sneak her phone into jail and made one last call. Finally, the friend passed along word of her plight and the Philippine government intervened. After a month in prison she was repatriated and is currently in a rehabilitation shelter in Manila. This report finds that isolation from the technologies and social networks that connect individuals to support and services is an indicator and risk factor for labor trafficking. Stories of isolation are unfortunately common in cases of labor trafficking. What is striking in the case above is the central role played by technology. The woman's mobile device both connects and disconnects her from illegal recruiters, employers, family, friends, social services, and assistance. This speaks to the larger premise of this report - new information and communication technologies (ICT's) have become an integral part of the networks that underpin labor trafficking in the 21st Century. Yet little research exists on the impact of technology in exacerbating or addressing the isolation, fraud, force, and/or coercion so often at the heart of trafficking cases. There is a lack of evidence-based research on any relationship between technology and labor trafficking either within or across national borders. To effectively intervene in labor trafficking, the impact of technology needs to be addressed by policy makers, governments, NGOs, researchers, and the private sector. Throughout the world, the rapid diffusion of technologies, such as social media, mobile devices, and the Internet, is impacting social, economic, and political life at an unprecedented scale. We live in a "network society" where technology and the flow of information are crucial forces of global social change. The network perspective helps us examine labor trafficking in a new way - not only as an economic, regulatory, or legal problem but as an issue driven by the technologies connecting networks of actors. This research report is the first to investigate the relationship between technology and labor trafficking. This project began in early 2014 and was made possible by a grant from Humanity United. The research builds upon the Technology and Human Trafficking Initiative, launched in 2010 at the Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy at the University of Southern California. The evidence gathered and analyzed in this report is based on public documents, websites, interviews with key stakeholders in the US and internationally, and fieldwork in the Philippines. With little previous research on the topic, this study is inherently exploratory. Thus this report's primary goal is to frame technology's impact on labor trafficking and to establish a set of definitions, theories, terms, themes, recommendations, and principles that can guide future research and policy. Details: Los Angeles: University of Southern California, Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy, 2015. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed march 9, 2018 at: https://communicationleadership.usc.edu/files/2015/10/USC_Tech-and-Labor-Trafficking_Feb2015.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Philippines URL: https://communicationleadership.usc.edu/files/2015/10/USC_Tech-and-Labor-Trafficking_Feb2015.pdf Shelf Number: 149415 Keywords: Domestic WorkersForced LaborHuman TraffickingLabor TraffickingMobile TechnologiesMobile TelephonesOnline CommunicationsSocial MediaTechnology and Crime |
Author: GRETA (Group of Experts on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings Title: 7th General Report on GRETA's Activities Covering the period from 1 January 20 31 December 2017 Summary: I am pleased to introduce the Seventh General Report on GRETA's activities and to highlight the on-going work of the Council of Europe in combating trafficking in human beings and vindicating the rights of victims of trafficking. The human rights-based approach to combating human trafficking is critical to all aspects of GRETA's work, recognising as it does that trafficking in human beings is a serious human rights violation, one that, as the European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly noted, treats human beings as commodities to be bought and sold. This General Report covers the activities of GRETA from 1 January to 31 December 2017. The year 2017 marked further progress in the application of the Convention across Europe, with the ratification by the Czech Republic on 29 March 2017. All member States of the Council of Europe, with the exception of the Russian Federation, have now ratified the Convention, and Belarus is also a State Party. While the expansion in ratifications of the Convention is significant to ensure greater reach in our work, more effective implementation by States Parties of the Convention standards remains critical. Against a backdrop of millions of people forcibly displaced worldwide, and hundreds of thousands of people on the move in Europe, the risks of exploitation are great. Of particular concern are the risks faced by victims of trafficking on arrival in Europe, with many barriers in place to accessing protection and heightened risks of re-trafficking within Europe. The gender dimension of human trafficking, and gender inequality as both a cause and a driver of exploitation, is central to many of GRETA's country reports. The risks faced by children and young people remain of particular concern, as weaknesses in child protection systems in many countries lead to failings in ensuring timely responses to the rights and needs of migrant and asylum-seeking children at risk. Strengthening the impact of GRETA's work in combating human trafficking is critical and the report highlights examples of where implementation of Convention standards is securing incremental change. Legislative changes continue, as well as policy and practical measures to improve early identification of child victims, steps to provide assistance to male victims of trafficking, and more proactive approaches to ensure access to compensation and legal redress. In this Seventh General Report, GRETA highlights the particular challenges of trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation. Labour exploitation was chosen as one of the thematic focuses of the second evaluation round of the Convention because of GRETA's concern that Convention obligations were not being met, and that many victims of labour trafficking were not being identified as such nor granted access to assistance and protection. 2017 saw the adoption of the landmark judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in Chowdury and Others v Greece, in which the Convention and its Explanatory Report, together with GRETA's reports on Italy and Spain, were widely cited. The judgment is an important contribution to European human rights law in recognising the complex and subtle forms of coercion that underpin trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation. The judgment is significant given GRETA's findings that many domestic courts fail to fully understand the gravity of labour exploitation or the nexus with human trafficking. As of the end of 2017, GRETA had adopted 42 country reports under the first evaluation round and 25 country reports under the second evaluation round. These reports highlight that in many States Parties, trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation is the predominant form of human trafficking identified. There is, however, an increase in the number of identified victims of trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation, and in several countries, labour trafficking has emerged as the predominant form of trafficking. While there are considerable variations in the number and proportion of labour trafficking victims among countries, all countries indicate an upward trend of labour exploitation. hese trends are of great concern to GRETA and highlight the urgent need for closer co-operation between States, civil society, trade unions and the private sector. GRETA has repeatedly stressed the need for comprehensive legislation on trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation, including recognition of the irrelevance of the victim's consent to the intended exploitation, and the need for heightened attention to the abuse of a position of vulnerability. Trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation occurs in the formal and informal economies, with migrant workers particularly at risk. Men constitute most of the identified victims of labour trafficking, in sectors as diverse as agriculture, construction, hospitality and fisheries. Women are also victims of trafficking for labour exploitation, often in the more isolated setting of domestic and care work. The possibility of trafficking occurring in diplomatic households is now well recognised, and GRETA's country reports highlight examples of good practice in prevention of such exploitation and in overcoming the barriers presented by state and diplomatic immunity claims. Poverty and discrimination on grounds of 'race' or ethnicity, as well as migration status, continue to contribute to the risks faced by minority communities, including risks of labour exploitation. The increasing precariousness of work, and the risks encountered by seasonal and migrant workers in particular, are documented in several of GRETA's country reports. The fisheries industry is recognised as posing particular challenges to the resourcing and functioning of inspectorates and other oversight bodies. GRETA's reports highlight steps being taken to strengthen preventive measures, yet the limited oversight of agricultural and other sectors contributes to difficulties in outreach to those often most at risk of exploitation. Limited resources for labour inspectorates, restrictions on collective bargaining and restricted access to channels for legal migration all contribute to labour trafficking. Access to information and to legal assistance remains a challenge for many victims of trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation, and GRETA highlights the importance of ensuring that victims are not criminalised, and can secure access to compensation and effective legal redress. The move towards greater transparency in supply chains, with significant legislative developments as well as policy initiatives, is highlighted as a potentially useful tool to combat human trafficking. In 2017, GRETA again invoked its urgent procedure mechanism, undertaking a short country visit to Hungary, in response to concerns raised in relation to the identification and access to assistance and protection of victims of trafficking. The use of the urgent procedure ensures a more timely response to potentially serious violations of human rights. Combined with the one-year follow-up reporting by States Parties now adopted, GRETA's monitoring work is developing to be more responsive, timely and effective. Complementing GRETA's monitoring work is the continued expansion of the Council GRETA's recommendations. GRETA is also working with other Council of Europe bodies to strengthen the impact of its work, including with MONEYVAL to highlight the importance of financial investigations in disrupting trafficking networks, as well as with other international organisations and civil society to assist in the identification of victims of trafficking among asylum seekers and migrants. 2017 came to an end with images of human trafficking in Libya and concerns at labour exploitation of many migrants travelling en route to Europe. This highlights the urgent need for strengthened co-operation between states and prevention measures to combat exploitation and abuse. Details: Strasbourg, France: Council of Europe, 2018. 81p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 9, 2018 at: https://rm.coe.int/greta-2018-1-7gr-en/16807af20e Year: 2018 Country: Europe URL: https://rm.coe.int/greta-2018-1-7gr-en/16807af20e Shelf Number: 149745 Keywords: Asylum SeekersForced LaborHuman TraffickingLabor ExploitationLabor TraffickingMigrantsSexual ExploitationTrafficking for Labor |
Author: Alrabe, Khaled Title: Lifelines: Supporting Human Trafficking Survivors in the San Francisco Bay Area Summary: THIS REPORT PROVIDES the findings of a study of human trafficking in the San Francisco Bay Area. The primary objective of the study was to document the challenges law enforcement, service providers, and prosecutors face in (1) identifying, investigating, and prosecuting sex and labor trafficking cases, and (2) providing trafficking survivors with adequate services, protection, and shelter. California is a major locus of human trafficking-defined as recruiting, smuggling, transporting, harboring, buying, or selling of a person for exploitation1 -largely because of its international border, demand for cheap labor, criminal gangs, and a relatively thriving economy. In 2015, the National Human Trafficking Resource Center reported that its hotline had received more reports of sex and labor trafficking from California than from any other state. In addition, the thirteen areas identified by the FBI as having the highest incidence of sex trafficking domestically, three are in California: San Francisco, San Diego, and Los Angeles. The Bay Area is home to a number of human trafficking task forces and coalitions that vary in terms of focus, structure, leadership, and geographic interest. Some task forces, such as the San Jose Police Human Trafficking Task Force and the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Task Force, focus on coordination within law enforcement in the pursuit of traffickers. Other coalitions, such as the South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking, work to improve services and to strengthen local capacity to identify and assist trafficking survivors. Most counties have a human trafficking task force or other collaborative mechanism that include representatives from law enforcement, service providers, and local government. These organizations include the San Francisco Collaborative Against Human Trafficking, Contra Costa Alliance to End Abuse, Marin County Coalition to End Human Trafficking, and Alameda County HEAT Watch. Many of these organizations are led by local governing bodies, such as the Mayor's office or the Attorney General's office. Details: Berkeley, CA: Human Rights Center, UC Berkeley School of Law, 2018. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 14, 2018 at: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bay_Area_Trafficking_Report_final.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Bay_Area_Trafficking_Report_final.pdf Shelf Number: 150177 Keywords: Human SmugglingHuman TraffickingLabor TraffickingSex TraffickingVictims of Trafficking |
Author: Human Rights Center, UC Berkeley School of Law. Title: Building Trust: Perspectives on a Victim-Centered Approach to Human Trafficking Investigations in Los Angeles County Summary: THIS REPORT PROVIDES THE FINDINGS of a study of the Human Trafficking Bureau (Bureau) of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, which is a member of the Los Angeles Regional Human Trafficking Task Force (Task Force). The primary objective of the study was to document the strengths and challenges the Bureau and other members of the Task Force encountered as they apply a victim-centered approach to investigations of human trafficking cases in their first year of operations (November 2015 to December 2016). Such an approach prioritizes the needs of victims and works to minimize re-traumatization. Established in September 2015 through a grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, the Task Force is a multi-agency partnership between federal, state, and local law enforcement and social service agencies mandated to "prosecute traffickers and buyers who target them, and provide services designed to restore the victims to lives free from the trauma bonds they've been forced to endure." The Bureau, which had been established earlier by Los Angeles Country Sheriff Jim McDonnell, was assigned to lead the Task Force in combatting human trafficking-defined as the recruiting, smuggling, transporting, harboring, buying, or selling a person for exploitation-in the county. From the onset, the Bureau and the Task Force embraced a novel approach to human trafficking investigations by physically co-locating investigators, prosecutors, and representatives of service provider organizations in the Bureau's headquarters in Monterey Park. Using an open-floor plan, the Bureau houses representatives from the Task Force, including the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST); the FBI; District Attorney's Office; Los Angeles County Probation Department; Department of Children and Family Services; and Department of Homeland Security. The Bureau maintains an investigative unit called the Detective Information Research Center (DIRC), which provides backup research for investigators. The Bureau also maintains a separate unit called the Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Team (SAFE), which conducts cyber investigations of crimes against children (ICAC), including child pornography, sextortion, enticement, and crimes committed by California State sex registrants. The Bureau's human trafficking teams have access to a "soft room" for interviewing and offering services to trafficking victims. While the Task Force is mandated to investigate both labor and sex trafficking cases, the vast majority of cases during the first year of its operations have involved sex trafficking. The Bureau has a three-pronged approach to sex trafficking. The first is to identify and locate victims. Once victims are located, service providers are brought in to provide a range of services from medical care to housing. The second prong is to arrest traffickers and gather evidence for prosecutions. And the third is to staunch demand in the sex trade by targeting buyers, or "johns." Using semi-structured questionnaires, researchers at the Human Rights Center, in partnership with Berkeley Law's International Human Rights Law Clinic, interviewed 45 key informants, including investigators, researchers, service providers, and prosecutors directly located in the Bureau or connected to it. Researchers also reviewed seven case files representative of various sex trafficking cases the Bureau had investigated during the first six months of 2016 and observed two sting operations directed at buyers and traffickers in Los Angeles County. All key informant interviews were transcribed and coded. In all, more than 35 codes were developed and tagged, resulting in 412 pages of coded data. The codes included a range of topics, including reluctance of victims to cooperate with law enforcement, shelter and long-term housing, challenges of investigating labor trafficking, the hidden nature of the crime, relations between investigators and prosecutors, proving the elements of the crime of human trafficking, criminalization vs. decriminalization of prostitution, and inter-agency co-location and cooperation. Since the Bureau has investigated only a few cases of labor trafficking, the report's primary focus is on sex trafficking cases. Details: Berkeley, CA: The Center, 2017. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 14, 2018 at: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/LA_report_2017_Nov20release.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/LA_report_2017_Nov20release.pdf Shelf Number: 150178 Keywords: Criminal InvestigationsHuman SmugglingHuman TraffickingLabor TraffickingSex TraffickingSexual ExploitationVictims of Trafficking |
Author: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Maine Advisory Committee Title: Human Trafficking in Maine Summary: Human trafficking - the coercion of human beings for the purpose of involuntary labor, sexual exploitation, or both - is a growing problem in Maine. President Obama has called human trafficking modern day slavery, declaring that the United States "must end this most serious, ongoing criminal civil rights violation." The Maine Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (Maine SAC or Committee) started examining the issue of human trafficking in 2011 and convened a briefing in April 2012. The Committee heard from law enforcement officials, prosecutors, legislators, and advocates. Survivors of human trafficking also participated, putting a human face on the problem. The briefing shined a light on the fact that Maine did not have a stand-alone dedicated human trafficking law. Committee members questioned the panelists about the absence of this legislation and encouraged panelists to consider legislative actions to help address the human trafficking in Maine. Subsequent to the briefing, the Maine legislature enacted several provisions aimed at protecting victims and increasing penalties for violators. Specifically, in 2013, the Maine legislature passed LD 1159, an Act to Address Human Trafficking, Sex Trafficking, and Prostitution. The statute broadened the definition of "human trafficking offense," and established "sex trafficking" and "aggravated sex trafficking" as crimes. The Maine legislature later signed LD 1730, An Act to Assist Victims of Human Trafficking, into law. The statute has two main effects: first, it provides an affirmative defense for victims of trafficking who are charged with prostitution, and second, it adds an additional fine for those convicted of aggravated sex trafficking. The Maine SAC convened a second briefing on human trafficking in June 2014 to learn about the impact of the new trafficking laws and to find out what still needs to be done to address human trafficking in Maine. The Committee invited additional law enforcement officials, prosecutors, legislators, advocates, and survivors of human trafficking to update the Committee. In issuing this report, the Committee commends the state for the progress it has made in addressing human trafficking. Nonetheless, the Committee finds that more needs to done to help victims and survivors of trafficking, especially with regards to criminal liability of victims and assistance for victims. Regarding criminal liability, the Committee learned that two new laws are needed: a vacatur statute and a safe harbor law. A vacatur law allows courts to vacate the offenses committed by victims during the course of their being trafficked. An ideal vacatur statute would allow courts to vacate any prostitution, drug possession, or other criminal conviction, provided that the act in question was committed by a victim of human trafficking during the course of being trafficked. To this end, the Maine SAC recommends that the Maine legislature enact a vacatur law. The Maine legislature should also enact a safe harbor law that is designed to prevent minors who are victims of human trafficking from being charged with crimes committed during the period they were trafficked. Existing safe harbor laws vary significantly among the states. Thus, the Maine SAC recommends that the Maine legislature enact the safe harbor law. The Committee also recommends that the U.S. Department of Justice draft a model safe harbor law that may be introduced in state legislatures. Finally, one of the most critical components of a proper response to human trafficking is the provision of adequate services for trafficking victims. Services are so key, in fact, that Maine prosecutors have ranked them more important in fighting human trafficking than a dedicated human trafficking statute itself. Traffickers make great efforts to ensure that their victims are isolated and totally dependent on them not only for the material essentials of life, but also for any sort of stability or feeling of normalcy. The Committee learned that trafficking victims are often arrested as a way to ensure that they have shelter, food, and safety. In order to adequately address human trafficking, the state needs both to create and fund programs that provide services to human trafficking victims. An ideal system of victim assistance services in Maine would address the fundamental needs of trafficking victims, including living assistance, educational services, and working with federal agencies on immigration and citizenship services. These services would receive sufficient funding to adequately serve the growing number of individuals in Maine identified as victims of both sex and labor trafficking. Finally, while this report focuses its findings and recommendations on the issue of sex trafficking, both briefings included testimony from advocates working on the issue of labor trafficking. Some estimate that labor trafficking constitutes almost one-third of the total human trafficking market. Labor trafficking in Maine occurs in several industries, including construction, manufacturing, agriculture, and logging. The Committee discredited the myth that labor trafficking involves exclusively undocumented workers. There are cases throughout New England - in construction, domestic help, and restaurants - where trafficked individuals are documented immigrants or U.S. citizens. We hope that Maine will consider adopting a standalone labor trafficking statute similar to the sex trafficking statute it recently enacted. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 2016. 49p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 2, 2018 at: http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/Human-Trafficking-in-Maine.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/Human-Trafficking-in-Maine.pdf Shelf Number: 150436 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingLabor TraffickingModern Day SlaverySex TraffickingSexual ExploitationVictims of Trafficking |
Author: Zhang, Sheldon Title: Labor Trafficking in North Carolina: A Statewide Survey Using Multistage Sampling Summary: The primary goal of this study is to produce reliable estimates of the prevalence of labor trafficking victimization among farmworkers in North Carolina. An innovative sampling method that relies on a combination of geographical aggregation of census blocks and consideration of official agricultural statistics to identify concentration of agricultural activities was developed and used. Over 400 migrant farmworkers participated in interviews, the goal of which was to identify potential trafficking cases as well as indicators that trafficking may be occurring. The results reveal that about one-quarter of the sample experienced some type of employment abuse; nearly 18% reporting incidents that could rise to the level of labor trafficking and 22% reporting lesser forms of labor abuse and exploitation. Given an estimated annual average of 61,455 migrant farmworkers in NC over the 3-year data collection period, over 17,000 migrant farmworkers in NC each year may have experienced some form of labor exploitation in their lifetime, with nearly 11,000 experiencing labor trafficking and over 13,000 experiencing other forms of abuse and exploitation. The most common type of abuse was a form of intimidation, threats, and fear (13%), followed by fraud and deception (12%) and exploitative labor practices (12%). The least common type of abuse was restrictions on physical or communicative freedom (7%). Being undocumented was the strongest predictor of experiencing labor abuse. The implications of these findings and recommendations for future research are discussed. Details: Report to the U. S. Department of Justice, 2019. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 18, 2019 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/252521.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/252521.pdf Shelf Number: 154648 Keywords: Farmworkers Forced Labor Human Trafficking Labor Exploitation Labor TraffickingMigrant Workers |
Author: Currier, Alyssa Title: 2018 Federal Human Trafficking Report Summary: Holding human traffickers accountable through criminal investigations and prosecutions, as well as civil lawsuits, is a crucial element of an effective, victim-centered approach to combating human trafficking. Human traffickers are economically motivated, compelling people to work or to engage in commercial sex for the trafficker's own profit. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000 criminalizes this form of exploitation at the federal level and has provided increasingly more protection for victims over time. The TVPA provides, inter alia, mandatory victim restitution and the option for victims to sue their traffickers civilly. In 2017, the Human Trafficking Institute ("Institute") published the first Federal Human Trafficking Report, an exhaustive review of federal efforts to hold traffickers accountable for their exploitative conduct. The 2018 Federal Human Trafficking Report ("Report") is a continuation of the Institute's efforts to provide comprehensive data about every criminal and civil human trafficking case that federal courts handle each year. The Report's findings are not a prevalence estimate of human trafficking within the United States, but instead, serve as an objective summary of how the federal court system is used to combat human trafficking. In 2018, there were a total of 771 active human trafficking cases in federal courts across the United States. The majority (88.2%) of the active human trafficking cases were criminal prosecutions. The remaining 11.8% of the active human trafficking cases were civil suits. Criminal Cases -- In 2018, the government initiated 171 criminal human trafficking cases in federal courts. Ninety-five percent of the initiated cases were sex trafficking cases, and 4.7% were labor trafficking cases. This represents a 29% decrease in the number of initiated cases from the 241 new criminal cases in 2017. Since the TVPA was enacted in 2000, the number of human trafficking cases prosecuted has increased dramatically. In 2000, the federal government initiated four human trafficking cases. In 2007, the year the Justice Department formed the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit, initiated federal prosecutions jumped to 55 new cases. Although the number of sex trafficking prosecutions charged by the federal government each year has greatly increased since the enactment of the TVPA, the number of new labor trafficking cases has remained relatively stagnant. Case Type -- Over half (51.6%) of the criminal human trafficking cases active in 2018 were sex trafficking cases involving only child victims. The remaining 48.4% of the criminal cases were sex trafficking cases involving only adult victims (16.3%), sex trafficking cases involving adult and child victims (16.2%), sex trafficking sting cases without identified victims (8.4%), sex trafficking cases where the age of the victim was undisclosed (2.4%), and labor trafficking cases (5.1%). Business Models -- Criminal defendants used the internet to solicit buyers of commercial sex in 87.7% of the sex trafficking cases active in 2018. Of these cases, public sources identified Backpage as a platform used to solicit buyers in 300 cases. The number of cases involving Backpage dropped 18.3% from 2017, following the shutdown of Backpage in April 2018. Only 5.3% of the sex trafficking cases active in 2018 involved commercial sex being marketed on a street or track known for prostitution. This is a slight decline from the 6.6% of sex trafficking cases that involved street-based commercial sex in 2017. In 2018, labor trafficking defendants most commonly compelled victims to work as domestic servants. Of the labor trafficking cases active in 2018, 38.7% involved domestic work, where victims were forced to provide house cleaning, childcare, and other household tasks. The other top industries where defendants commonly compelled victims to work included food services or restaurant labor (19.4%), farming or agricultural labor (12.9%), and construction labor (12.9%). These were the same top four business models as in 2017. Methods of Coercion -- Traffickers frequently use a combination of coercive tactics to compel a victim to provide sex or labor. In 2018, evidence in over half (56.2%) of the sex trafficking cases indicated that a defendant used physical violence to force a victim to engage in commercial sex.iii In addition to violent methods of coercion, traffickers commonly rely upon more subtle forms of coercion to control their victims. Of the sex trafficking cases active in 2018, 42.6% involved a defendant threatening to use violence against a victim, 25.4% involved a defendant verbally or emotionally abusing a victim, and 23.3% involved a defendant placing a victim in physical isolation in order to coerce the victim to engage in commercial sex. Defendants in over one-third (36.2%) of the active sex trafficking cases allegedly induced a substance addiction, or exploited an existing addiction, as a method to control a victim. The most common methods of coercion used by defendants in labor trafficking cases active in 2018 were the withholding of pay (60%) and threats of physical abuse (60%). In 57.1% of the cases, defendants used physical violence to coerce a victim to work or provide services. Non-physical methods of coercion targeting migrant populations appeared in public sources more frequently in labor trafficking cases than sex trafficking cases. For example, 51.4% of labor trafficking cases included evidence that a defendant threatened a victim would be deported if he or she did not comply with the defendant's demands. In comparison, only 2.6% of sex trafficking cases mentioned a defendant's threat of deportation as a method of coercion. .... Details: Merrifield, VA: Human Trafficking Institute, 2019. 112p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 4, 2019 at: https://www.traffickingmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2018-Federal-Human-Trafficking-Report-Low-Res.pdf Year: 2019 Country: United States URL: https://www.traffickingmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2018-Federal-Human-Trafficking-Report-Low-Res.pdf Shelf Number: 155619 Keywords: Forced LaborHuman TraffickingLabor TraffickingProstitutionSex TraffickingSexual Exploitation |