Essay Sample About Human Trafficking

According to the trafficking victims protection act (TVPA) ranking the USA falls under tier 1 category because the American government fully complies with the TVPA minimum standards. Besides, it also has the necessary tools for fighting human trafficking within and outside its territorial boundaries.

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Source and Destination

The United States of America is both a source and destination of human trafficking. Firstly, it is a source because the native-born among other American citizens face trafficking in various capacities in both legal and illegal markets such as hotel services, massage parlors, agricultural sectors, janitorial services among other job markets. On the other hand, it is also a destination because victims of human trafficking are brought to the US to work in the labor market such as stripers clubs, brothels, domestic chores, hotel industries, and farms among others. In this regard, America becomes a destination because the victims end up being settled in the country to give service in the above sectors.

Prosecution

From the department of justice and national human trafficking department, it is reported that in 2017 8,524 cases of human trafficking were recorded. There were 1,930 defendants of human trafficking cases and 89% are criminal while 11% are civil. The defendants have been prosecuted in the courts of law while the victims get protection and justice from through the help of the national human trafficking department. In America, the human trafficking penalties are hefty as it carries both fines and jail terms of a maximum of 20 years imprisonment. The US trafficking regulations majorly focus of sex and labor trafficking and where minors or children are involved the penalties are more punitive as it involves a life imprisonment and a minimum of 10 years depending on the issues surrounding the situation.

Protection

According to the TVPA act 2000 which is the foundation of the regulations governing and protecting the victims of HT, one of the laws is that the victims of trafficking should be compensated through payment. It also outlines the term of imprisonment and penalty to be administered to the offenders. Besides, it spells out the law which prohibits the transportation of minors across boundaries for the purposes of labor provision or to be sex subjects. The organizations involved in the department of labor, homeland security, health, human services and state justice. Besides, there is also NGO's for instance anti-slavery international, coalition against trafficking in women among others. The NGO's have played a critical role in helping the victims of HT. the services the NGO's are offering include guiding and counseling to the victims, staging anti-slavery campaigns, helping in resettling victims of HT and collaborating with the government in curbing the menace among others. On the other hand, the government is playing the role of enforcing the laws protecting the HT victims, it also ensures that the victims are compensated through payment, besides, it works with NGO's in resettling and helping the victims return to their normal state of life through guiding and counseling. The government also provides funds for running campaigns and other necessities of helping the victims.

Prevention

The country has developed a plan to eradicate HT through the setting of anti-trafficking laws with punitive measures on the offenders. It has also worked for hand in hand with non-governmental organizations in campaigning against and fighting the menace. There are hotlines for victims to call for help and they differ from one state to another and they have proved to be helpful in saving the victims. Programs have been established to help the victims leave HT through guiding and counseling and giving them funds to assist them in starting a new life. The police are trained on the various ways of identifying victims of trafficking and on the ways to help them out of the trafficker's hands.

Recommendations

The US has played a significant role in eradicating human trafficking through law enforcement, training of the police in identifying and helping the victims and also punishing the offenders. What it can further do is to stage more campaigns on anti-human trafficking in order to create awareness and enlighten people on the consequences of HT. Similarly, it should initiate more ways of sensitizing the people on the various ways in which they can easily fall victims.

References

Kempadoo, K., Sanghera, J., & Pattanaik, B. (2015). Trafficking and prostitution reconsidered: New perspectives on migration, sex work, and human rights. Routledge.

Weitzer, R. (2014). New directions in research on human trafficking. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 653(1), 6-24.