Human Trafficking

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Committee Co-Chairs: Jeeva Shunmugaraja and Abhiram Gunti

Human trafficking is the “acquisition of people by improper means such as force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them.” In 2017, Polaris reported that they worked on 8,759 cases of human trafficking involving “10,615 individual victims, nearly 5,000 potential traffickers, and 1,698 trafficking businesses.” These numbers are only a small fraction of cases that represent the vast problem of human trafficking. Over the last ten years, over 49,000 total cases of human trafficking have been reported globally to hotlines and authorities. Victims suffer through inhumane and illegal living conditions as they are manipulated and exploited for profit, and they are often lured by offers of false employment opportunities. Virtually every country is affected by these criminal acts.

War and inefficient government have increased the threat of exploitation and trafficking incidents. In Africa, children are ripped away from their families and forced to fight as child-soldiers. In the Middle East the main form of trafficking is forced labor. On September 19, 2016, the United Nations discussed issues related to migration and refugees. 193 U.N. member states recognized the need for a “strategic initiative that supports global companies that are committed to responsible business practices in the areas of human rights, labor, the environment and corruption.” The United Nations adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration that promotes regulating movement between borders and enforcing punishment to human rights abusers. The challenge facing countries and the United Nations is to target criminals who traffic humans and to protect the rights of trafficked migrants who endure unimaginable hardships and human rights abuses.

Questions to Consider

• What can be done to enhance global cooperation in the fight against human trafficking?
• How can countries go after criminal trafficking organizations while also caring for victims of this crime?
• How can each country support and follow through with abiding by the Global Migration Compact?