Young people in rural areas are the most targeted in human trafficking
Although human trafficking is often a hidden crime and accurate statistics are hard to obtain, researchers estimate that this growing phenomenon is a lucrative $32 Billion industry. The most common forms of human trafficking are sex exploitation, involuntary labor and extractions of organs.
As the economic crisis deepens, the number of victims of human trafficking is expected to increase.
Victims of this delusive trade suffer devastating physical and psychological harm. Language barriers, unawareness of the existence of this phenomenon and the frequency with which traffickers move them make it hard for them to escape.
It’s shocking but true; in this century, human beings are being smuggled and sold like commodities. Surprisingly, there are more human slaves in the world today than ever before in history (Kinney, 2008). Human trafficking today ranks among the top three highest grossing criminal industries along with illicit drugs and illegal arms.
Human trafficking is a global phenomenon fueled by poverty and gender discrimination. Perpetrators often recruit children because children are more unsuspecting and vulnerable than adults. In addition, the market demand for younger victims is higher.
Traffickers target victims through telephones, internet and friends. It is easy for a naïve and desperate young person to be tricked at the mall or after school.
Human trafficking agents are not only convincing but also very deceptive. Brazil and Thailand are generally considered to have the worst child trafficking records (Shelley & Louise 2010) but African children are at risk due to the rapid expansion of trafficking networks and the increase in the number of orphans as a result of the AIDS epidemic and conflicts.
Traffickers prey on people who are poor, isolated and weak. Issues such as disempowerment, social exclusion and economic vulnerability are the result of policies and practices that marginalize groups of people and put them at risk.
Natural disasters, conflicts and political turmoil weaken already tenuous social protection measures. Individuals are at risk of being trafficked because of conditions in their countries of origin and an allure of opportunities elsewhere.
The relentless thirst for greener pastures and expectations of reliable income drive people into potentially dangerous situations.
Victims of human trafficking suffer physical damages caused by drugs and alcohol addictions, contracting STDs (in full), sterility, miscarriages, forced abortions and a wide range of trauma. Psychological effects include developing Clinical Depression, Personality and Dissociative Disorders, suicidal tendencies, Post Trauma Stress Syndrome and Complex Post Trauma Stress Syndrome.
Human trafficking effects range from physical abuse and torture of victims as well as psychological and emotional trauma to economic and political implications.
The widespread contemporary exploitation of human beings is unacceptable to people of conscience the world over.
Traditional approaches to prevent, protect and assist victims and bringing criminals to justice have had little impact which calls for us to renew both our resolve and our initiatives to protect those who are vulnerable.
The United Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking (UNGIFT) was born out of a renewed commitment by world leaders to engage in the battle against this crime, one of the most egregious violations of human rights in the world today.
Prevention of human trafficking must include a broad community of stakeholders, empowerment of vulnerable people and the reduction of risk factors. Public awareness campaign should be directed to potential victims. Increased awareness of possible harm will help a person at risk to choose a different path.
There have been cases of human trafficking in Rwanda or involving Rwandans and measures have been taken by the government and stakeholders to combat these atrocities. Last year, seven Rwandan girls who had been trafficked to Uganda were emancipated.
They were tricked into believing that their trafficker had job offers in neighboring Uganda only to end up into forced prostitution. According to the police, 153 cases of human trafficking have been registered since 2009, with the majority of the victims being young females below the age of 35.
Speaking to Reuters in October, last year, Criminal Investigation Department’s deputy commissioner, Tony Kuramba said that 153 victims were rescued between 2009 and 2013. Rwanda is still one of the least affected countries in the world but prevention needs to be done and community involvement is important.
While addressing the parliament, HE, President Paul Kagame stressed that this issue cannot be left solely to the police and added that it was the responsibility of all Rwandans to combat the problem.
Both prevention and reduction of vulnerability are valid approaches to combating human trafficking. Each calls for different dynamics in policy and program planning. A focus on vulnerability will enhance the human rights component of trafficking prevention policies.
Traditional preventions of crime can contribute to the enhancement of anti-trafficking policies by focusing on reducing elements of risk in the environment. Theoretically, prevention should aim at eliminating trafficking before it occurs. This can be done by reducing the factors that make individuals vulnerable to be trafficked.
By Pascal Habimana