2020 trends in trafficking cases
It’s no secret: 2020 has been hard on all of us. In the midst of this year, it’s easy to forget about even the most massive of issues in the world, like human trafficking. Are there more cases or less with the pandemic’s prevalence? What about regardless of the pandemic – is there any hope that we can conquer the global issue of trafficking? We’re here to provide you an update.
When it comes to reporting on trafficking trends, an invaluable resource since 2000 is the annual Trafficking in Persons Report, or the TIP Report, released by the U.S. Department of State. In the introduction to the 2020 TIP Report, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo writes, “Instability and lack of access to critical services caused by the pandemic mean that the number of people vulnerable to exploitation by traffickers is rapidly growing.” Pompeo explains that before the pandemic, there was an urgency to actively fight against trafficking, but the impact of the virus has been greater than we could have imagined. Because of these circumstances, Pompeo explains that “governments must end state-sponsored forced labor; they must increase prosecutions of human traffickers; and they should expand their efforts to identify and care for trafficking victims while ensuring they are not punished for crimes traffickers compelled them to commit.”
“Governments must end state-sponsored forced labor; they must increase prosecutions of human traffickers; and they should expand their efforts to identify and care for trafficking victims while ensuring they are not punished for crimes traffickers compelled them to commit.”
Another useful report is the 2019 Federal Human Trafficking Report, as it provides data-driven infographics to explain recent case reports. A few fast facts from the report are as follows: as of 2019, just over half of the victims in criminal human trafficking cases were children. As in the past, women and girls comprise the majority of human trafficking cases. Over the past three years, the average term of imprisonment for a forced labor defendant has increased more than three-fold.
When it comes to restitution, or the federal law mandating convicted traffickers to pay the survivor for the losses they suffered during the trafficked time, courts only ordered it be paid to survivors 39.9% of the time in 2019. Although this number is low, it is not as low as it has been in years past. The Federal Human Trafficking Report has so much to offer when it comes to data and updates about global trafficking, and all in all, its message is loud and clear – no matter how far we have come with this seismic issue, there is much work to be done.
An additional resource is The Human Trafficking Legal Center. This organization works with pro bono attorney partners to step in to fight for trafficking survivors. Legal action and assistance are required to help survivors use their voice to fight for what they need, and HT Legal is spearheading this need daily. HT Legal also supports and collaborates with non-government organizations (NGOs) by training anti-trafficking service providers in the United States.
And when it comes to NGOs, their support is infinitely significant in combating trafficking, as they have the unique ability to educate governments, courts and law enforcement on human trafficking and survivors’ needs. One way they’ve recently been fighting against trafficking is through media exposure, utilizing everything from news outlets to social media to celebrity voices to make the issue known. Yet, because NGOs are fully independent of our government, funding is necessary to help them continue in their fight. The National Association of Attorneys General nods to the United Nations in their article discussing the value of NGOs in countering human trafficking. They make the point that if these organizations could work with the UN, there may be opportunities to obtain financial resources to render victim assistance.
“Moreover, it [COVID-19] has had a detrimental impact on the access to employment and rights of migrant workers, especially young women.”
Alongside organizations like HT Legal and NGOs fighting to diminish human trafficking, there are other ideas concerning how to target traffickers. Some states are discussing increased minimum jail sentences and even an online “John’s Registry” where a directory of people convicted of buying sex would be listed.
Let’s circle back to COVID-19 and its effect on human trafficking. The pandemic has caused shutdowns of not only your favorite local café and boutique, but also of assistance trafficking survivors need. “Moreover, it [COVID-19] has had a detrimental impact on the access to employment and rights of migrant workers, especially young women,” writes the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. The closing of borders has also been problematic, as “travel restrictions may also lead many migrants or asylum-seekers to look for alternative, more dangerous migration routes, making them vulnerable” to exploitation.
Nobody is exempt from this tumultuous year, as everyone has been affected in some way by COVID-19. Yet unique challenges have been posed to those seeking refuge from the trafficking industry. The main question at hand is: what can we do to help? Donations are accepted at HT Legal and NGOs as they use their resources to fight trafficking globally. You can wear a dress or tie every day this December and help resource Dressember programmatic partners.
Together, we can make an impact around the globe to combat human trafficking and help survivors acquire what they deserve.
About the Author
Erin Diaz Cleveland is a writer and planner from Central Virginia. Her life goal is to use her passions to inspire and encourage others to serve and better themselves and their communities. She loves spending time with her family, instructing yoga and drinking iced espresso in the afternoon.