Human trafficking

Meaning and Causes of Human Trafficking

Consequences of Human Trafficking

Government and Individual Efforts to stop Human Trafficking

Meaning and Causes of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking can be defined as the act of recruiting, transporting, or receiving a person through force, coercion or through other means for the purpose of exploiting them.

Human trafficking is the trade in humans, most commonly for the purpose of sexual slavery, forced labor or commercial sexual exploitation for the traffickers.

The following points below are causes of human trafficking,

1. Poverty: This is a situation where a person fall short of a level of economic welfare, where a person lacks the basic human want which are clothing, food and shelter .A person who is poor can easily be deceived to come over to another place with the promise of getting a good job and become a victim in the hands of the traffickers.
2. Lack of employment opportunities: Due to the bad economic situation of some countries that made some people jobless, some people therefore get lured and deceived by traffickers because they want to get out of the country and thereby using them as slaves and prostitutes in other countries.
3. Profit: Because of the profits the trafficker wants to make from doing trafficking business make them to engage themselves in such evil business all because of profit.
4. Low self esteem: Many people because they do not know their worth and value, they see themselves as nobody thereby making them vulnerable and they fall into the hands of traffickers and because they have low self esteem they allow any body to direct them to anywhere.
5. Illiterates: illiterates are those who are not able to read or write, illiteracy has made so many people to become a victim of trafficking, for instance, signing on a paper you do not have any knowledge about. They deceived them by telling them they will enroll them into school and teach them many things, because they want to be educated they then fall victim of trafficking.
6. The search for greener pastures: Some people believe that it is by travelling and relocating to another place before they can make it in all aspects of life.
7. Economic system: Because of poor economic system of some countries the citizens prefer to live somewhere else and would not mind to go anywhere and because of this they become a victim.
8. Greed: Some people are not satisfied with what they have, because of the love to earn more than what they can have they end up falling into the hands of traffickers.

Consequences of Human Trafficking

1) Violation of Human Rights. The fundamental human rights of victims of human trafficking have been violated by their traffickers.

2) They are often treated as criminals by officials in countries of transit and destination because they are illegal aliens.

3) Vulnerable to diseases. Given the nature of work and conditions they are exposed, victims are often exposed to risk and dangers of serious diseases including sexually transmitted illnesses such as HIV/AIDS. Some even develop mental illness.

4) Many of the victims who return home are stigmatized and find it difficult to reintegrate.

5) Unwanted pregnancy. Some of the victims are faced with the problems of unwanted pregnancy. Some die in the process of abortion.

6) It could lead to untimely death. Some victims die from ill-health, frustration and violence. Some are killed because their organs need to be harvested.

7) The countries to which they are taken are faced with the burden of tackling the problems of illegal residents, illegal workers and social vices.

8) National disgrace. It is a national disgrace to their country of origin when traffickers are arrested, prosecuted and sentenced.

Government and Individual Efforts to stop Human Trafficking

1) Public enlightenment: Public enlightenment should be done to ensure the creation of awareness on the part of the public on the evils of human trafficking.

2) Education: Government should make education available, affordable and compulsory to all children of school age.

3) Legislation: Laws have been made prescribing different kinds of punishment ranging from 12 months (for an attempt to commit any of the offences) to life imprisonment for serious offences such as slavery and exploitation.

4) Advocacy: Advocacy is giving public support to an idea, a course of action or belief. The presence of an advocacy group, who work to protect and defend children and women against traffickers, could prevent criminal activities.

5) Parents should watch their children closely, regarding the kind of friends they keep.

6) There should be proper counselling at various levels. The children and women should be counseled at homes, schools and public places. Victims need counseling to be properly rehabilitated.

7) Government should provide employment opportunities for the youths, most especially to prevent women and children from becoming victims.

8) Improvement in standard of living: When the standard of living is made better, people will desist from partaking in illegal businesses.

9) Establishment of agency: Government established agencies such as the National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and other Related Matters (NAPTIP). This agencies helps in stopping child trafficking

ASSESSMENT

1. What is human trafficking and what causes it?
2. What are the consequences of human trafficking?
3. What are the efforts that needs to be taken to curb human trafficking?