What is Human Trafficking?
Human Trafficking is modern-day slavery. Trafficking involves severe exploitation for the purpose of commercial sex or labor.
Legal Definition:
Human Trafficking: recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtainment, by any means, of any person for peonage, slavery, involuntary servitude, or forced labor. Federal Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (VTVPA)
Statistics
- Fastest growing criminal industry worldwide
- Second most lucrative criminal industry worldwide
- Reaches almost a million victims annually
- Amasses annual revenues of $13 billion
- 18,000 to 20,000 victims trafficked into the U.S. each year
Human Trafficking is NOT the same as Smuggling:
HUMAN TRAFFICKING
Victims are coerced.
Subsequent exploitation/forced labor is involved.
Those trafficked are seen as VICTIMS by the law.
SMUGGLING
Those smuggled are not coerced.
Only an unauthorized border crossing is involved.
Those smuggled are seen as CRIMINALS by the law.
Signs of Human Trafficking
- Evidence of being controlled
- Evidence of inability to move freely or leave job
- Bruises or other signs of physical abuse
- Intense fear or depression
- Not speaking on own behalf
- Non-English speaking
- Recent arrival from Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Canada, Africa, India
- Lack of ID or immigration documents
Questions to Ask a Suspected Victim
- What type of work do you do?
- Are you being paid?
- Can you leave your job if you want to?
- Can you come and go as you please?
- Have you or your family been threatened?
- What are your working and living conditions like?
- Where do you sleep and eat?
- DO you have to ask permission to eat/sleep/go to the bathroom?
- Are there locks on the doors/windows so you can not get out?
- Has your identification or documentation been taken from you?
Resources:
Administration for Children & Families:
www.acf.hhs.gov/trafficking/
National Criminal Justice Reference Services (OJP, DOJ):
www.ncjrs.org/spotlight/trafficking/summary.html
Polaris Project:
www.humantrafficking.com
Protection Project:
www.protectionproject.org/main1.htm
Tapestri, Inc:
Tapestri.org
World Health Organization:
http://lshtm.ac.uk/hpu/docs/WHO.pdf
HOTLINES
TO REPORT A POSSIBLE CASE OF TRAFFICKING:
404-299-0895
1-866-317-3733
770-427-3390
Information provided by:
Multi-Jurisdictional Anti-Trafficing Task Force
and
NCGLEA
5000 Austell-Powder Springs Road
Suite 151
Austell, GA 30106
Phone: 770-732-5929
Fax: 770-732-5938
MARILEE GIBSON
TRAFFICKING COORDINATOR
[email protected]
EMILY STANLEY
TRAFFICKING COORDINATOR
[email protected]