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GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES & RESEARCH - 9239

COMPONENT-II

Research question:

To what extent, is Human trafficking a serious crime and a necessary

evil?

Introduction

The issue of human trafficking has been a topic of great concern to policymakers, law
enforcement agencies, and civil society groups around the world. While some argue
that human trafficking is a necessary evil as it provides better lives to people or cheap
labor, others contend that it's a malicious crime that undermines the dignity and rights
of millions of people worldwide.

According to the U.N.-backed International Labor Organization (ILO), globally it is

estimated that some 40 million people have been affected by this industry, both
willingly in terms of trying to make a better life for themselves, and in other
instances, taken advantage of by illicit organized criminal gangs. (www.acfcs.org,
n.d.)

However, the practice of human trafficking is not a recent phenomenon, but one that has
persisted throughout history to this day regardless of the efforts made internationally and
locally to prevent it.
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The non-consensual transportation, harboring, or abducting of men, women, and

children through deception and threat, for performing unlawful acts such as
commercial sex, forced labor work, or debt servitude, briefly defines “Human
trafficking’’.

Affecting around 25 million men, women, and children worldwide.

Human trafficking is considered the second largest criminal industry
globally, generating approximately 150$ billion annually for
perpetrators involved in the following crime. (International Labour
Organization, 2021)

Half of this budget is derived through “Sex trafficking”, where the victim is
forcibly lured into performing sex acts.

Asia and the Pacific region have the highest number of people in forced labor
(15.1 million) and the Arab States have the highest prevalence (5.3 per
thousand people). (International Labour Organization, 2021)

Abducting people either by force or deception into causing them to work is

enough to undermine their freedom and take away their dignity. Not only are
victims physically harmed and mentally challenged but on a larger scale it
affects communities, secondly, it fuels other organized crime, as it provides a
lucrative source of income for criminal networks, creating a market for cheap
and exploitable labor, which can distort labor markets and undercut wages for
legal workers. Largely damaging international trade and undermining the
local and the international rule of law that strictly condemns “Human
trafficking” proving to be a serious crime.
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While it is true that some individuals may voluntarily enter into situations
that eventually lead to human trafficking, it is crucial to recognize that such
situations are often the result of desperation, poverty, and lack of
opportunities. It is significant to understand that these individuals may be
driven to engage in trafficking as a means to escape poverty, provide for their
families, or seek a better life. From the perspective of Human traffickers, they
tend to commit this crime in order to full fill the demand for cheaper and
more vulnerable labor that can go beyond to perform their given task and to
overcome the demand for commercial sex. Keeping in mind that half of the
annual budget of human trafficking is derived from commercial sex. On the
other hand, it is also believed to be a necessary evil.

Human Trafficking

Crimes like Human trafficking can occur in many forms, trafficking of

people to contribute to any sort of inappropriate sexual activity that could be
as pornography, prostitution, or sex tourism, etc, secondly forcibly involving
victims in participating in agriculture, mining, or any sort of domestic
servitude to either pay off perpetrators’ debt or to unlawfully earn.

The ILO estimates there were 24.9 million victims of human trafficking
around the world. (Ecker, 2022)

The victims of Human trafficking are recruited through several methods,

either they pretend to be friendly online and brainwash them or they post
publicly via social media about job opportunities and enquire about the
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victim, or they abduct by using physical force. In short, traffickers use

violence, manipulation, romantic relationships, and false promises of
rewarding opportunities to lure naive people into trafficking situations.

Of the 27.6 million people in forced labour, 17.3 million are exploited in
the private sector; 6.3 million in forced commercial sexual exploitation,
and 3.9 million in forced labour imposed by state. (International Labour
Organization, 2021)

And in many cases, victims get lured by the perpetrator's false promises of
achieving their desired employment or high-paying job, quality education, or
a well-off lifestyle. Mainly people struggling with economic hardship, an
unsafe social network and potentially being emotionally vulnerable are
considered easy targets for Human traffickers. Many victims avoid seeking
help due to the terror of the traffickers and law enforcement procedures or
even language barriers, they are condemned not to file a formal complaint.

Approximately 5.4 people in every 1000 current inhabitants of the earth

are victims of labor trafficking. (Etactics | Revenue Cycle Software, n.d.)

It is essential to take into account that there is no nation that is completely

immune to this heinous crime however, there are definitely counties where
this crime is less prevalent. For instance in a country like Germany where

406 were victims of sex trafficking, and 88 were victims of labor

trafficking, which included four forced begging victims and 11 forced
criminality victims. (United States Department of State, n.d.)
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In total 505 victims were reported in Germany, whereas if we look at the

broader picture

in 2021, there were 7,155 victims of trafficking human beings in the

European Union and 2,517 convicted traffickers. (ec.europa.eu, n.d.)

This data suggest that the prevalence of Human trafficking in Europe as a

whole is lesser than in Asia and the Pacific collectively. Considering that the
two-thirds of the total victims of Human Trafficking worldwide belong from
Asia and the Pacific. Conversely,

India is at the top of the list with 14 million victims, China comes in second
with 3.2 million victims, and Pakistan comes in third with 2.1 million victims.
Cambodia is also a transit, source, and destination country for
trafficking.36% of trafficked victims in Asia are children, while 64% are
adults. (Wikipedia, 2022)

Human trafficking as a serious crime

Human trafficking is regarded as a severe criminal offense because of its
detrimental effects not only on the victims but also on society and the economy.
The victims often experience physical injuries such as pelvic pain, and
malnutrition, and may contract sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS.
Apart from physical harm and exploitation, victims also suffer from mental and
emotional trauma, and their human rights are grossly violated, leading to a loss of
their freedom of speech and movement.
James Evans, is a young gay man from the Midwest who is a survivor of sex
trafficking. As a child, he knew he was different and tried to become the
person others wanted him to be, hiding his authentic self. He rebelled in his
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teenage years and turned to drugs and alcohol. His family was unable to
accept him for who he was, and he dropped out of school, becoming
homeless and penniless. He sought out older men for support, but after a
series of events, he ended up as a sex worker, having unprotected sex with
countless men for profit, because he had no other opportunity and was
vulnerable he decided to continue being a sex worker. He had a psychotic
break and became homeless in California, where a stranger found him and
helped him start a new life. Victims of human trafficking are at risk of
experiencing a wide range of mental health issues, including substance abuse,
memory loss, difficulties forming relationships, eating disorders, depression,
guilt, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other similar conditions.
Apart from harming individuals, human trafficking can also have detrimental
effects on social welfare, as it can weaken social unity and raise inequality.
Often, trafficked individuals are marginalized and cut off from social support
systems, limiting their access to economic opportunities and social services.
This can create a cycle of poverty and exclusion, perpetuating the problem of
human trafficking and adversely affecting society's overall well-being.
Human trafficking has a substantial impact on the global economy, with both direct
and indirect costs. The direct costs are related to the expenses of investigating and
prosecuting trafficking cases, providing assistance to victims, and preventing
trafficking through various awareness campaigns and law enforcement initiatives.
The indirect costs include the impact of trafficking on labor markets, human
capital, and social welfare. Trafficking frequently involves forced labor, which can
lead to worker exploitation and harm labor markets' integrity. This can lower
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wages, decrease productivity, and impede innovation, all of which can have
detrimental effects on economic growth and development.

Human trafficking as a necessary evil

On the contrary, some argue that “Trafficking in Humans is a necessary evil

than the crime being a serious issue’’. Although it is unlawful to some the
people it is desirable for their own vested interests. To further elaborate on
this, individuals that are economically weak and empowered, think that it is a
better opportunity for them to sustain and support their families. Thus they
avoid filing a complaint. Some of the traffickers especially sex traffickers pay
a sufficient amount of money to their victims.

Looking at the broader picture, Human trafficking is often driven by financial

gain, with perpetrators seeking to exploit individuals for cheap labor in
various industries. By forcefully trafficking humans, they acquire a
workforce that is cheaper and more vulnerable to exploitation than regular
workers. This allows them to cut costs and increase profits.

According to the International Labour Organization, there are

approximately 25 million people worldwide who are victims of forced
labor, with the vast majority (around 75%) being exploited in industries
such as agriculture, construction, and manufacturing. (ILO, 2017)

Many of these victims are trafficked across borders, making it difficult for
them to seek help and escape their situation. In addition to the financial
benefits, perpetrators of human trafficking also benefit from a lack of
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regulation and oversight in many industries. This allows them to operate with
impunity, knowing that they are unlikely to face legal consequences for their
actions.

Personal perspective
Based on the synthesis of my arguments and findings, regardless of whether Human
trafficking is a necessary evil for some, I would conclude that the act of human
trafficking is a heinous crime that can and should result in significant repercussions.

Human trafficking has a negative impact on the economy as profits earned from it
usually go to criminal organizations and terrorist groups, which reduces spending and
investment in legitimate businesses. Victims of trafficking also suffer from emotional
and psychological damage, leading to decreased productivity and economic output.
An economic model has been developed to study human trafficking and estimates that
forced labor generates $150 billion annually and affects 25 million people. Human
trafficking is a highly profitable criminal enterprise that funds other criminal activities
such as money laundering and drug trafficking. Those who argue against human
trafficking highlight that victims are vulnerable and often come from marginalized
communities.
International efforts are made to combat the root causes of the crime that is
poverty, social inequality, and political instability by introducing strict legal
measures, raising public awareness, and empowering strategic industries such
as Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) in the United States and SHARP
organization working in Pakistan to combat this horrendous crime.
Preventative measures can be initiated to eliminate human trafficking. One
such measure involves monitoring accounts without standard sources of
income and credit cards with frequent cancellations, particularly in cases
where human trafficking is suspected. It is also important to be vigilant about
cash deposits that exhibit certain patterns, such as excessive deposits in round
amounts, abnormally timed deposits, large denominations of deposits, and
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deposits in multiple cities, particularly if they are close to each other, over a
period of time. Another measure involves monitoring peer-to-peer payments,
especially those in round consistent amounts, with multiple originators, and
those associated with funnel accounts and transfers to and from escort sites.
Accounts immediately withdrawing funds from P2P transfers and those
associated with multiple email addresses or bank accounts should also be
scrutinized. Institutions should also pay attention to multiple payroll deposits
into one account, which could be tied to slave labor, and multiple deposits
from processors for online adult content. By implementing these measures,
institutions can detect signs of human trafficking and take action to prevent it.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it's evident that human trafficking is a malicious crime that
undermines the dignity and rights of millions of people worldwide. It's a form of
modern-day slavery that must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. While
some may argue that human trafficking is a necessary evil, such arguments
overlook the fact that the vast majority of victims are exploited and oppressed,
with no means of escape or recourse. As such, policymakers, law enforcement
agencies, and civil society groups must work together to eradicate this scourge
from our society.