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Human Trafficking: Causes and implications

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 Human Trafficking: Causes and implications

*Shashi Punam & **Sandeep Sharma

Human trafficking can happen anywhere, as long as the environment contains vulnerable
conditions. Human trafficking varies from country to country, but it usually preys on vulnerable
situations. People in vulnerable and precarious situations are looking for a way out and in their
desperation can fall prey to human traffickers. Trafficking is a complex phenomenon that is
often driven or influenced by social, economic, cultural and other factors. Every year, thousands
of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad.
Many of these factors are specific to individual trafficking patterns and to the states in which
they occur. Today, many countries are collaborating together to reduce the causes of human
trafficking. The U.S. State Department Trafficking-in-Persons Report is the world’s most
comprehensive resource on anti-trafficking efforts, including 188 countries and
territories. Against their will, millions of people around the world are forced to work for the
profit of others, for example by begging, prostitution, involuntary servitude, working in
sweatshops etc. According to some estimates, approximately 80% of trafficking involves sexual
exploitation, and 19% involves labor exploitation. There are approximately 20 to 30 million
slaves in the world today. Human trafficking is a hidden crime as victims rarely come forward to
seek help because of language barriers, fear of the traffickers, and/or fear of law
enforcement. Keeping in view the present paper has been discussing the root causes of
trafficking from one country to another. In this paper found with the help of secondary sources
that human trafficking can be separated into sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Human
trafficking have different purposes, there are general trends that explain the overall root causes
of human trafficking such as poverty, war, natural disasters and a search for a better life and
human trafficking generates a huge profit etc are the causes of human trafficking.

Key words: Trafficking, Disasters, Phenomenon, Hidden crime, Prostitution, Involuntary

*Shashi Punam, Post Doc Fellow, School of Legal Studies and Governance, Career Point
University, Himachal Pradesh, Email: [email protected]
Sandeep Sharma* Research Scholar, Career Point University, Hamirpur, Himachal
Pradesh Mail: [email protected]
Introduction:

Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights. Every year,
thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries as
well as abroad also. Almost every country in the world is affected by trafficking, whether as a
country of origin, transit or destination for victims. Human trafficking can happen anywhere, as
long as the environment contains vulnerable conditions. Human trafficking varies from country
to country, but it usually preys on vulnerable situations. People in vulnerable and precarious
situations are looking for a way out and in their desperation can fall prey to human
traffickers. Trafficking is a complex phenomenon that is often driven or influenced by social,
economic, cultural and other factors. Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall
into the hands of traffickers, in their own countries and abroad. Many of these factors are specific
to individual trafficking patterns and to the states in which they occur. Today, many countries are
collaborating together to reduce the causes of human trafficking. The U.S. State Department
Trafficking-in-Persons Report is the world’s most comprehensive resource on anti-trafficking
efforts, including 188 countries and territories. Against their will, millions of people around the
world are forced to work for the profit of others, for example by begging, prostitution,
involuntary servitude, working in sweatshops etc. According to some estimates, approximately
80% of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19% involves labor exploitation. There are
approximately 20 to 30 million slaves in the world today. Human trafficking is a hidden crime as
victims rarely come forward to seek help because of language barriers, fear of the traffickers,
and/or fear of law enforcement. 1

What is Human Trafficking?

Human trafficking is the trade of humans, most commonly for the purpose of forced labour,
sexual slavery, or commercial sexual exploitation for the trafficker or others. Article 3,
paragraph (a) of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons defines
Trafficking in Persons as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of
persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of

1
www Humantrafficking.com
 fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or
receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over
another person, for thei purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the
exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or
services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs. Human
trafficking can occur within a country or trans-nationally. Human trafficking is a crime against
the person because of the violation of the victim's rights of movement through coercion and
because of their commercial exploitation. According to the International Labour Organization
(ILO), forced labor alone (one component of human trafficking) generates an estimated $150
billion in profits per annum as of 2014. Human trafficking is the trade in people, especially
women and children, and does not necessarily involve the movement of the person from one
place to another. According to Louise Shelley (2010), human trafficking is thought to be one of
the fastest-growing activities of trans-national criminal organizations. Human trafficking is
condemned as a violation of human rights by international conventions. In addition, human
trafficking is subject to a directive in the European Union. 2

Objective and Research Methodology of the study:

The present paper has been discussing the root causes of trafficking from one country to
another. In this paper found with the help of secondary sources that human trafficking can be
separated into sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Human trafficking have different purposes,
there are general trends that explain the overall root causes of human trafficking such as
poverty, war, natural disasters.

2
Bales, Kevin and Cornell, Becky. (2008). “Slavery Today.” Ontario: Groundwood Books or
c/o CA: Publishers Group West.
www.ilo.org.in
Louise Shelley (2010). Human Trafficking: A Global Perspective. Cambridge University Press.
p. 2. ISBN 978-1-139-48977-5
Elements of human trafficking

On the basis of the description given in the Trafficking in Persons Protocol, it is evident that
trafficking in persons has three constituent elements;
The Act (What is done)
Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons
The Means (How it is done)
Threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or
giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim
The Purpose (Why it is done).
For the purpose of exploitation, which includes exploiting the prostitution of others, sexual
exploitation, forced labour, slavery or similar practices and the removal of organs.

An article 3 of the Trafficking in Persons Protocol is meant to provide consistency and consensus
around the world on the phenomenon of trafficking in persons. Article 5 therefore requires that
the conduct set out in article 3 be criminalized in domestic legislation. Domestic legislation does
not need to follow the language of the Trafficking in Persons Protocol precisely, but should be
adapted in accordance with domestic legal systems to give effect to the concepts contained in the
Protocol .

In addition to the criminalization of trafficking, the Trafficking in Persons Protocol requires

criminalization also of:
· Attempts to commit a trafficking offence
 · Participation as an accomplice in such an offence
· Organizing or directing others to commit trafficking.
National legislation should adopt the broad definition of trafficking prescribed in the Protocol.
The legislative definition should be dynamic and flexible so as to empower the legislative
framework to respond effectively to trafficking which:
· Occurs both across borders and within a country (not just cross-border)
· Is for a range of exploitative purposes (not just sexual exploitation)
· Victimizes children, women and men (Not just women, or adults, but also men and
children)
· Takes place with or without the involvement of organized crime groups
(Human%20Trafficking_.html).3
Illegal phenomenon

There are approximately 20 to 30 million slaves in the world today. According to the U.S.
State Department, 600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every
year, of which 80% are female and half are children. According to some estimates,
approximately 80% of trafficking involves sexual exploitation, and 19% involves labor
exploitation. Human trafficking is one of illegal phenomenon that all countries agreed to abolish.
It is mostly related with sexual and labor exploitation. As the US department victims of
trafficking (2004) statistic indicated, from the total no of trafficked people 80% engaged to sex
trafficking where as 19% engaged to labor trafficking. This data indicate that the relationship of
trafficking with the sex industry is very high. In a countries where the act of prostitution is
acknowledged the flow of sex trafficking in that region also increase, in other words, in a country
that criminalized such an act, the result will be the opposite. Based on 2007 data gathered by the
ILO, the United Nations estimates that 2.5 million people find themselves victims of forced labor
(including sexual exploitation) as a result of trafficking: 56% are in Asia and the Pacific, 10%
are in Latin America and the Caribbean, 9.2% are in the Middle East and Northern Africa, 5.2%
are in sub-Saharan countries, 10.8% are in industrialized countries and 8% are in countries in
transition. It has, however, been difficult to quantify the exact extent of trafficking, not only
because of the clandestine nature of the crime, but also because, until few years ago, there had
been little agreement on the definition of human trafficking. Bales (2004) estimates that between

3
(Human%20Trafficking_.html).
www.usdpt.org.in
1815 and 1957, more than 300 international treaties were enacted for the purposes of suppressing
the slave and trafficking trade.

Root causes of trafficking:

According to a 2012 International Labour Organization (ILO) report, 21 million people are
victims of forced labor. The Asia-Pacific region accounts for the largest number of forced
laborers in the world with 11.7 million victims (56 percent of the global total), followed by
Africa with 3.7 million (18 percent) and Latin America with 1.8 million victims (nine percent).

According to the Huffington Post, approximately 75 to 80 percent of human trafficking and

slavery is for sex. The rest are forced into labor exploitation, such as agriculture and construction
work. In 2015, 5,544 cases of human trafficking were reported, as stated in a study by the
National Human Trafficking Resource Center.

Human trafficking can be separated into sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Though they have
different purposes, there are general trends that explain the overall root causes of human
trafficking. Here are the five main causes of human trafficking:

1. Poverty, natural disasters and a search for a better life

Traffickers lie, promising jobs and stability in order to recruit their victims. Upon their
arrival to another state or region, captors take control. More often than not, they are held in
places where victims did not to want to make their home. Traffickers look for people who are
susceptible to coercion into the human trafficking industry. Those people tend to be migrants,
fleeing their homes either because of economic hardship, natural disasters, conflict or
political instability. The displacement of populations increases individuals’ emotional
vulnerability, and frequently they do not have the financial support to protect themselves.
This makes them subject to abuse through trafficking. 4

4
United Nations Office Of Drugs and Crime – https://www.unodc.org/documents/human-
trafficking/Toolkit-files/08-58296_tool_9-2.pdf.
2. Women and children are targets

In some societies, the devaluation of women and children make them far more vulnerable to
trafficking than men. Traditional attitudes and practices, early marriage and lack of birth
registration further increase the susceptibility of women and children. They are also targeted
because of the demand for women in sex trafficking. A report by Equality Now states that
20.9 million adults and children are bought and sold worldwide into commercial sexual
servitude, forced labor and bonded labor. Women and girls make up 98 percent of the victims
trafficked for sexual exploitation.

3. Demand for cheap labor

The service industry, particularly restaurants and kitchens, are common exploiters of human
trafficking. There is also a demand for cheap domestic and agricultural labor. Employees are
often initially promised a safe work space and a steady salary, only to later find that they are
paid less than minimum wage and worked over time. Business owners guilty of this behavior
continue to practice these illegal norms because the victims of trafficking can rarely protect
themselves and they have very few alternatives.
4. Human trafficking generates a huge profit

According to the ILO, the human trafficking industry generates a profit of $150 billion per
year. Two-thirds is made from commercial sexual exploitation, while the remainder comes
from forced economic exploitation such as domestic work and agriculture. Human trafficking
is the fastest-growing and second-largest criminal industry in the world, after drug
trafficking.

5. Cases of human trafficking are difficult to identify

Some challenges in identifying victims of human trafficking arise because victims are well-
hidden or highly traumatized. Those that are traumatized are unlikely to divulge information
to investigators, either because they are scared to confront law enforcement, or because they
are too troubled to respond. Consumers of human trafficking also contribute to the crime’s

www.osce.org/documents/pc/2005/07/15594_en.pdf.
 hidden nature, according to a report by the Urban Institute. Both traffickers and consumers
are aware of the huge risk they take by participating in this illegal behavior and will do their
best to cover up any illicit activity (Michelle Simon, 2016).5

6. Political conditions

Political instability, militarism, generalized violence or civil unrest can result in an increase in
trafficking as well. The destabilization and scattering of populations increase their
vulnerability to unfair treatment and abuse via trafficking and forced labor.

7. Social and Cultural practices

Many societies and cultures devalue, abuse and exploit women and girls, creating perilous living
conditions for these women. With little opportunities of upward mobility and with little
value placed on women and girls, they are more vulnerable to human trafficking.

8. War

Armed conflicts can lead to massive forced displacements of people. War creates large
numbers of orphans and street children who are especially vulnerable to trafficking. Their
families have either passed away or are fighting a war, complicating child-rearing
(https://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/). 6

The root causes of trafficking are various and often differ from one country to another.
Trafficking is a complex phenomenon that is often driven or influenced by social, economic,
cultural and other factors. Many of these factors are specific to individual trafficking patterns and
to the states in which they occur. There are, however, many factors that tend to be common to
trafficking in general or found in a wide range of different regions, patterns or cases. One such

5
Michelle Simon (2016), The Atlantic, US State Department, Urban Institute, International
Labour Organization, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, UNICEF, National Human
Trafficking Resource Center, Huffington Post, The Department of Homeland Security, Equality
Now.

6
(https://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/).
factor is that the desire of potential victims to migrate is exploited by offenders to recruit and
gain initial control or cooperation, only to be replaced by more coercive measures once the
victims have been moved to another State or region of the country, which may not always be the
one to which they had intended to migrate.
Some of the common factors are local conditions that make populations want to migrate
in search of better conditions: poverty, oppression, lack of human rights, lack of social or
economic opportunity, dangers from conflict or instability and similar conditions. Political
instability, militarism, civil unrest, internal armed conflict and natural disasters may result in an
increase in trafficking. The destabilization and displacement of populations increase their
vulnerability to exploitation and abuse through trafficking and forced labour. War and civil strife
may lead to massive displacements of populations, leaving orphans and street children extremely
vulnerable to trafficking (www.osce.org/documents/pc/2005/07/15594_en.pdf).
Poverty and wealth are relative concepts which lead to both migration and trafficking
patterns in which victims move from conditions of extreme poverty to conditions of less-extreme
poverty. In that context, the rapid expansion of broadcast and telecommunication media,
including the Internet, across the developing world may have increased the desire to migrate to
developed countries and, with it, the vulnerability of would-be migrants to traffickers. The
practice of entrusting poor children to more affluent friends or relatives may create vulnerability.
Some parents sell their children, not just for the money, but also in the hope that their children
will escape a situation of chronic poverty and move to a place where they will have a better life
and more opportunities.
In some States, social or cultural practices also contribute to trafficking. For example, the
devaluation of women and girls in a society makes them disproportionately vulnerable to
trafficking. Lack of adequate legislation and of political will and commitment to enforce existing
legislation or mandates are other factors that facilitate trafficking in persons.
In response to the above root causes, most prevention strategies fall within one of the
Following categories:
 Reducing the vulnerability of potential victims through social and economic development
 Discouraging the demand for the services of trafficked persons
 Lack of Public education (awareness)
 Lack of border control
  Preventing the corruption of public officials. 7

Suggestions to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings

 Considering as priority goals the fostering of social, economic and political stability, and
the reduction both of migration caused by deep poverty and of supply factors of
trafficking. Policies followed in pursuit of these goals should also promote both
economic development and social inclusion.
 Improving children’s access to educational and vocational opportunities and increasing
the level of school attendance, in particular by girls and minority groups.
 Tackling underground economic activities that undermine economies and enhance
trafficking.
 Enhancing job opportunities for women by facilitating business opportunities for small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Organizing SME training courses and targeting
them in particular at high-risk groups.
 Taking measures to raise levels of social protection and to create employment
opportunities for all.
 Addressing all forms of discrimination against minorities _ Developing programmes that
offer livelihood options and include basic education, literacy, communication and other
skills, and reduce barriers to entrepreneurship
 Encouraging gender sensitization and education on equal and respectful relationships
between the sexes, thus preventing violence against women.
 Ensuring that policies are in place that allow women equal access to and control over
economic and financial resources
 Promoting flexible financing and access to credit, including microcredit at low interest
 Promoting good governance and transparency in economic transactions.
Conclusion:
Human trafficking varies from country to country, but it usually preys on vulnerable
situations. People in vulnerable and precarious situations are looking for a way out and in

7
www.osce.org/documents/pc/2005/07/15594_en.pdf).
 their desperation can fall prey to human traffickers. We see these in multiple different
circumstances. Trafficking primarily involves exploitation which comes in many forms,
including: forcing victims into prostitution, subjecting victims to slavery or involuntary
servitude and compelling victims to commit sex acts for the purpose of creating
pornography. Human trafficking is a hidden crime as victims rarely come forward to seek
help because of language barriers, fear of the traffickers, and/or fear of law enforcement.
The safety of the public as well as the victim is paramount. Do not attempt to confront a
suspected trafficker directly or alert a victim to any suspicions. It is up to law
enforcement to investigate suspected cases of human trafficking. It is compulsory to
promoting flexible financing and access to credit, including microcredit at low interest
and promoting good governance and transparency in economic transactions to increase
human trafficking. To ascertain whether a particular circumstance constitutes trafficking
in persons, consider the definition of trafficking in the Trafficking in Persons Protocol
and the constituent elements of the offense, as defined by relevant domestic legislation.

References:

 Bales, Kevin and Cornell, Becky. (2008). “Slavery Today.” Ontario: Groundwood
Books or c/o CA: Publishers Group West.
 Bales, K., and Trodd, Z. (2009). Modern Slavery: The Secret World of 27 Million
People. Oxford: Oneworld.
 www.Human%20Trafficking_.html
 Michelle Simon (2016), The Atlantic, US State Department, Urban Institute,
International Labour Organization, Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, UNICEF,
National Human Trafficking Resource Center, Huffington Post, The Department of
Homeland Security, Equality Now.
 Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour (20 May 2014). "Profits and
poverty: The economics of forced labour" (PDF). International Labour Organization.
p. 4. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
 Louise Shelley (2010). Human Trafficking: A Global Perspective. Cambridge
University Press. p. 2. ISBN 978-1-139-48977-5.
View publication stats

 US (2004) U. S. Department of State, Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection

Act 2000: Trafficking in Persons Report, July 2004.
 United Nations Office Of Drugs and Crime –
https://www.unodc.org/documents/human-trafficking/Toolkit-files/08-58296_tool_9-
2.pdf.
 www.osce.org/documents/pc/2005/07/15594_en.pdf.