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Introduction to modern slavery / human trafficking (HT/MS)
Human trafficking and modern slavery refer to a wide variety of extreme abuses, exploitation, and coercion that severely restrict someone's freedom.
Human trafficking and modern slavery refer to a wide variety of extreme abuses, exploitation, and coercion that severely restrict someone's freedom.
Terminology
Terminology
There is plenty of confusion and debate about what we mean by "modern slavery" and "human trafficking". On this site we tend to use the two labels interchangeably.
Many people are used to separating this horrendous yet persistent social problem into the two categories sex trafficking and labor trafficking. In most official definitions, however, those are no longer the primary categories. Instead, let us look at the way several authoritative groups describe the landscape ...
Prevalence and forms of "Modern Slavery "
Prevalence and forms of "Modern Slavery "
The International Labour Organization, Walk Free, and the UN's International Organization for Migration estimate that 50 million people live in some form of modern slavery, which they categorize as follows:
Forced marriage
Forced labour
Privately-imposed forced labour exploitation, including child soldiers, forced begging, and debt bondage
Forced commercial sexual exploitation
State-imposed forced labour, including the abuse of conscription and some forms of labour in prisons.
Another approach is taken by Polaris, who operates the US National Human Trafficking Hotline. Their analysis of reports to that hotline lead to the Typology of Modern Slavery, which describes 25 categories in the USA such as Escort Services and Commercial Cleaning Services.
"Trafficking in Persons"
"Trafficking in Persons"
The United Nations definition of "trafficking in persons" has three aspects:
The act of trafficking, which means the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons
The means of trafficking, which includes threat or use of force, deception, coercion, abuse of power or position of vulnerability
The purpose of trafficking, which is always exploitation.
The global commitment to combat HT/MS
The global commitment to combat HT/MS
Since 2000, the United Nations has promoted a global framework for addressing HT/MS. On the 6th July 2017, a UN resolution set an agenda for sustainable development and a series of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) to be met by 2030. One of those goals was Target 8.7: "Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms."
Alliance 8.7 is the world's leading initiative for achieving that target.
For more detail ...
For more detail ...
For simple introductions to the whole topic, see the suggested web sites, books, and videos on the Personal Action page.
More detailed reports from highly influential sources include the following ...
Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage, from the International Labour Organization, International Organization for Migration, and Walk Free Foundation
Global Estimates of Modern Slavery: Forced Labour and Forced Marriage, from the International Labour Organization, International Organization for Migration, and Walk Free Foundation
Country reports
Country reports
For detailed reports on many individual countries ...
Go to the Global Slavery Index and click on the Country Studies item in the top menu bar near the top of the screen
Or go to the Trafficking in Persons Report and select any of the available countries
Do the two labels "modern slavery" and "human trafficking" mean the same thing?
Do the two labels "modern slavery" and "human trafficking" mean the same thing?
Neither of the labels "modern slavery" and "human trafficking" have gained global support, though they both refer to a variety of abuses, exploitation, and coercion that restrict people's freedom. The term "human trafficking" is more common in the USA but some other countries prefer the term "modern slavery". As an example, the primary legislation in both the UK and Australia is titled "Modern Slavery Act".
Some experts argue about the differences in both meaning and social connotations between the two labels, but on this web site we use the two interchangeably.
For more detail ...
For more detail ...
Some good sources are:
Sarah Harrison's article Reconsidering the Use of the Terminology ‘Modern Day Slavery’ in the Human Trafficking Movement
Statement from the National Survivor Network
The article Slavery and its Definition, by Jean Allain and Kevin Bales, makes the distinction that human trafficking is a process by which people are forced into a state of slavery.
In a more academic style, Mary Leary wrote in support of the label "modern day slavery" while Janie Chuang wrote in opposition to that label.
What moral and legal arguments condemn modern slavery / human trafficking?
What moral and legal arguments condemn modern slavery / human trafficking?
Reflecting on the moral and legal basis for eradicating slavery is an important step towards understanding the RAGAS CAPE strategy. Although many forms of slavery and human trafficking have been evident throughout history and across nearly all civilisations, in the last two hundred years the moral imperative than no-one should be owned by another person has been embedded in law.
From a moral point of view, nearly all religions, cultures, and ideologies promote the idea that each person should be shown respect simply because they are a human being. This idea is embedded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights made by the United Nations in 1948. Although there is no country in the world now where it is legal to own another person, some slavery-like practices have not universally been made illegal.
Since 2000, the UN has promoted international opposition to the ongoing problem through a strategy that rests on four pillars:
Prosecution — Effective law enforcement action to investigate, prosecute, convict and sentence traffickers
Protection — A victim-centred approach that identifies victims, provides referrals for a comprehensive array of services, and supports survivors as they rebuild their lives
Prevention — Disrupt the tactics of human traffickers and alleviate the factors that make people vulnerable to human trafficking
Partnership —Added in 2009, this aspect acknowledges the importance of a diverse range of people and organisations co-operating.
For more detail ...
For more detail ...
The RAGAS Ambassador's Speakers Toolbox offers a longer account of this topic. A summary is available here.
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