Human Trafficking Awareness: Get Informed-Get Involved-Change the World!!

January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month:  Continuing on Human Trafficking Awareness, one problem that arises in trying to help trafficking victims is something called “forced repatriation”. This happens when the countries, where the act of trafficking takes place, deport the victims back to the country of their origin as quickly as possible. This may seem as though they are acting in the victim’s best interest, however there are major problems with repatriation. It does not allow the victims access to immediate psychological, medical and financial assistance. It also could allow for the perpetrator to be waiting for the victim once they return to that country. Also this hurts any chance the victim has to gain financial retribution or to see their perpetrators prosecuted. Many trafficking victims have actually been jailed for violating immigration policies when they have been rescued. Laws in the U.S. are beginning to be passed that are giving trafficking victims including non-citizens access to shelters, finances and legal aid. With more organizations and advocacy rising on the scene, some of the laws are beginning to change (2010, www.state.gov).

In the United States we routinely criminalize trafficking victims. The following text is from a blog from last year regarding minors in the United States who are prosecuted for prostitution instead of being rescued from traffickers and helped.

Dec. 11th 2010: Girls as young as 9 or 10 are picked up by ruthless traffickers. These men are often older men somewhere around thirty to forty years of age. The classic scenario goes as follows: an older man may befriend a young girl, age 9 or 10. He may fill in some father figure role. He convinces her he loves her and wants to take care of her and that he will take her away from the abuse. He then systematically destroys her identity, and any self-esteem left with physical and emotional abuse and drug dependency. He finally has complete control over her. Remember this is a child. These girls can be found here being trafficked on 1-40 or at truck stops and neighboring motels here in Oklahoma City.

The victims are subject to psychological trauma, abuse, disease, social ostracism, drug dependency, unwanted pregnancy, forced abortion, malnutrition and poor mental health. Often these girls are murdered or commit suicide.

Or, the girls are picked up for prostitution. They are prosecuted and serve time. They are stigmatized for being prostitute even though they are not even legally able to consent to sex.

According to the Polaris Project, largest anti-human trafficking organization in the world, and the U.S. State Department, any person under the age of 18 caught in the commercial sex trade is considered a trafficking victim.

So why isn't that a reality in this country?  Hopefully it will be, if people like you will continue to raise their voices to help the oppressed.

Get Informed-Get Involved-Change the World!!!