Slavery and Human Trafficking - Research Paper Example

Slavery and Human Trafficking Human trafficking is a process whereby individuals are transported from their communities or countries via the use of threat or deception and forcing them into unfavorable work conditions and dehumanizing activities. Human trafficking is mainly done for exploitation purposes such as prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labor and it is a violation of human rights because the victims are usually forced to work, owned, or dehumanized (Healey 1). Notably, human trafficking is one of the fastest growing activities of transnational criminal organizations and in most cases it affects women and girls as compared to men. Basically, individuals are trafficked between countries or within borders of a state and in most cases, those trafficked are subjected to sexual or labor exploitation. Human trafficking is one of the most common problems affecting counties and families on every continent. Mostly, human trafficking is associated with sexual exploitation but about a third of all trafficked individuals are exclusively subjected for labor exploitation such as domestic work, packing and processing, and agricultural work among others. This paper explores slavery and human trafficking covering slavery in America’s history. Normally, the victims of human trafficking are illegally relocated to another country where they are forced into slavery conditions so to enable the traffickers can benefit financially (Healey 1). Human trafficking is a form of slavery in the modern society and it is considered a form of slavery because it involves transporting individuals to another country against their will to benefit others. Human trafficking is a global problem and it does not only occur in poor areas but also in developed places. Human trafficking is mainly for sexual abuse, elimination of organs, forced labor, or forced marriage among others. It is a crime against an individual since it violates the victim’s rights of movement via coercion and so it is strongly condemned as a violation of human rights by international conventions. The most people trafficked are migrant workers who in most cases seek to escape from poverty and improve their lives and also be able to support their families. They are deceived that they will get a well-paying jobs abroad but when they rich there, the promised job do not exist and as a result they are forced to work in worse conditions or they find a job that they do not agree with. Human traffickers can coerce individuals to work through various strategies, for instance, they use passports that are taken away upon their arrival and so without their documents, these immigrants are unable to prove that they have a right to be in that county, therefore, they cannot seek assistance from the authorities. Currently, slave trade is one of the rapidly growing industries globally with many people being enslave daily, and after drug dealing, human trafficking has been ranked second as the largest industry dealing with criminal activities worldwide. Slavery takes place when an individual is completely in control of another person through the use of violence or threat so as a way of maintaining control to exploit individuals in a manner that they cannot escape. According to the international law, slavery is the practice of owning another person and controlling them (Wong 316). Human trafficking takes place in three phases, that is, the action of trafficking involving transportation; the means of trafficking involving the use of threat, coercion, force or deception; and lastly, the purpose of trafficking which is always exploitation. Slavery and human trafficking has existed and experienced since the evolution of human, that is, a few decades back, England’s southern colonies in North America established large farms that could not thrive without adequate labor. Since there was a lot of work in the plantations and there was shortage of labor, men and women were needed to work in these vas plantations. As a result, many Africans were taken from their homes and shipped to North America and forced into slavery leaving them separated from their loved ones. The slaves were very helpful and most economical on large farms with labor-intensive cash crops like cotton and tobacco. The slaves lived on these plantations and the plantation owner controlled the farm, benefited and rewarded the workers with low wages, and they also worked for very long hours and hard. The Civil War in the United States in 1865 significantly contributed to the end of slavery in America, and during the late 1920’s, slavery was condemned in all parts of the world. Actually, the Civil War assisted in ending slavery in America and facilitated the freedom of African Americans who were enslaved and mistreated by the whites. It led to the reconstruction era that pushed for equal treatment and abolished slavery in America (Jones 175). After the end of slavery, the freed men had problems tracing their loved ones who had been also trafficked and enslaved elsewhere. However, this did not completely end slavery as many individuals were forced into captivity with the victims forced into a lifetime servitude and prostitution while others were enticed by the promise of a better life, and many victims were children and women. Slavery is the third largest illegal business in the world and it is evident in the most developing countries such as Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America among others. More so, slavery is also experienced in the United States with about twenty thousand persons trafficked annually and subjected to unethical work conditions. Even though human trafficking is a big problem and a huge crime, most traffickers always get away with it. Various countries and organizations have been putting more effort to ensure that slavery is eliminated in the world. Even though America has implemented the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) to assist the victims by monitoring the kind of steps different countries take in ending slavery, some argue that the law cannot effectively help end slavery. One way to stop this is by enacting and implementing a law prohibiting and punishing all forms of trafficking. Governments should implement policies that address the root cause of trafficking such as migration issues. For instance, the promotion of regular and managed migration can really help in reducing trafficking by providing migrants with strategies that they can use to secure safer jobs abroad that guarantees their human and labour rights in that particular country. More so, states need to recognize that those involved in human trafficking are victims of a human rights violation and should therefore provide them with necessary protection and support including shelter, health services, housing, and financial and legal assistance among others. In conclusion, human trafficking and slavery is a global problem affecting individuals in different parts of the world form either developing or developed countries but mostly in poor countries. Trafficking is the transportation of individuals from their communities to another country through coercion, deception or threat mainly for exploitation. Human trafficking is a form of modern day slavery because the victims are transported and forced into work against their will. there are some individuals who do not believe that slavery still exist today as they are convinced that this is what happened decades ago when the blacks were enslaved. However, those who are aware are reluctant to act and put to an end this problem. It affects individuals and countries all over the world and in most cases, the traffickers do not get punished. It is very important to address this problem and reveal how this industry is ruining the lives of individuals. Slavery emotionally and physically affects individuals and should be therefore dealt with accordingly to ensure that no one is enslaved and no one is abuses their power to force others into slavery. Works Cited Healey, Justin. Human Trafficking and Slavery. [Balmain], NSW, Australia]: Spinney Press, 2012. Print. Jones, Angela. African American Civil Rights: Early Activism and the Niagara Movement. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger, 2011. Print. Wong, Wendy. "Is Trafficking Slavery? Anti-Slavery International in the Twenty-First Century." Human Rights Review12.3 (2011): 315-328.            Read More