Author: Dionysus, Content writer, Headline Diplomat eMagazine

According to the U.S. Department of State, an estimate of 14,500 to 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States every year.

Despite this increase, the number of individuals prosecuted for human trafficking has risen over the years. In 2011, a total of 729 persons were prosecuted, a number that rose to 1,343 persons in 2020. What’s more, the number of individuals convicted of a federal human trafficking offense increased from 464 people in 2011 to 837 people in 2019.

Slavery is not a thing of the past. Historic recurrence is in fact unavoidable. Today, we find that human slavery is once again a reality. Human trafficking cases are being reported on every continent and across every country. Some countries act as the source of trafficking, while others act as the transit, and destination of the trafficked people.

This is why it is vital that governments, organizations, countries, and communities work together and come up with anti-trafficking strategies that can combat this sickening vice. While there are various such strategies in place, new strategies have to be implemented, given that any advances will equally support and equally advance the operations of Human traffickers. In the current social media age and technological advancements, collaboration between countries and communities is also key in accelerating and stopping human trafficking cases.

Which anti-trafficking strategies have been enforced?

Over the years, several initiatives have been developed to tackle this unbeatable scourge. One of this is Stop the Traffik. Initiated in 2006, the movement was created as a result of witnessing first-hand the impact of human trafficking. Stop the Traffik started as an informal coalition devoted to creating awareness of trafficking and giving rise to the political will necessary to halt it.

Stop the Traffik aims to create awareness about trafficking and to recognize the complexity of the crime. This has helped the police and even ordinary people to identify victims of trafficking and report the cases. Furthermore, it pushes to improve female education in source countries and increase police pay in destination countries so that they don’t take bribes from the cartels. By educating the girls, they can recognize the warning signs and report possible victimization. On the contrary, paying the police well ensures that they do their job diligently and with honor.

Nonetheless, it is recognized that human trafficking cannot be ended with a few extra task forces or dedicated units alone. Many cases go undetected as the task force or police cannot detect every single case on their own. But with a joint effort, this vice can be stopped. To fight this crime, every person needs to be aware of it, how it affects them, and what they can do to stop it. The good news is that in 2000, the United Nations launched the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, which created a victim-centered approach to trafficking. Since then, it has been signed by more than 177 countries.

In 2005, the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings marked a step towards better cooperation and dedication within Europe. In February 2008, Stop the Traffik delivered up to 1.5 million signatures to the UN from people calling for an end to human trafficking. In the process, the founder of Stop the Traffik, Steve Chalke was appointed the UN Gift Special Advisor on Community Action against human trafficking.

Stop the Traffik has created some projects to help combat human trafficking, including Start Freedom, Active Communities against Trafficking (ACT), and the Chocolate campaign. Start Freedom deals with creating awareness and engaging with young people on matters of human trafficking. On the other hand, ACT targets to bring together members of a community to help them identify trafficking, comprehend how it affects local communities, and learn how to prevent its continuation. The Chocolate Campaign is also directed towards stopping child trafficking and forced labor through the supply chains of chocolate manufacturers.

While such strategies are indeed noble and surely help to reduce human trafficking cases, more needs to be done to stop this vice. Such strategies alone cannot stop it. However, if human trafficking organizations work together with governments and communities, and the necessary funding is indeed put in place, a lot can be achieved.

For instance, organizations like the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has been working around the clock with governments and other bodies to stop trafficking. Since 2000, OHCHR has been addressing the problem of trafficking through the lens of the human rights-based procedure. This procedure comes from international human rights conventions and other international legal frameworks on trafficking. While this procedure has been successful, OHCHR has focused on capacity development, partnerships, and research and knowledge production.

Anti-trafficking strategies from different governments

Organizations alone cannot stop human trafficking as they have to work hand-in-hand with governments. Several countries around the world have national plans of action to stop human trafficking. Below are some of the anti-trafficking strategies from different countries.

Australia

The action plan to get rid of trafficking in persons of the Government of Australia is based on four major features:

Prevention
Detection and investigation
Criminal prosecution
Victim support and rehabilitation

Denmark

In 2007, the Government of Denmark approved a revised National Action Plan to battle Trafficking in human beings. It pays attention to four key areas of intervention:

Strengthening investigation measures
Strengthening social services to support victims
Limiting demand and increasing public awareness to avoid human trafficking
Bettering international cooperation to prevent human trafficking

Colombia

After the Colombian Congress assumed Law 985/2005, its national anti-trafficking strategy was raised to the level of public policy. The Integral National Anti-trafficking Strategy that emerged from this procedure, is based on five key elements:

Prevention and training
Criminal prosecution
International cooperation
Protection and assistance to victims and witnesses
Information systems

Finland

The Government of Finland, at its general session on 25 August 2005, approved the National Action Plan on Combating Human Trafficking. The plan was drafted in line with human rights rules. A key part is the quick identification and support of victims, promoted through the education of authorities and civil society actors. The ploy also puts strong emphasis on public awareness raising and on the prosecution of culprits.

Even though we have highlighted only a few countries, many countries have implemented different strategies on how they want to stop human trafficking in their boundaries. So, if countries work together with organizations like Stop the Traffik, human trafficking can be stopped or reduced drastically.

How can you help to fight human trafficking?

Despite the strategies coming from various organisations, the best ways to stop this vice and put the culprits behind bars are as follows:

To begin with, it is important to learn the indicators of human trafficking. If many people are aware or understand how trafficking happens, then it will be easier to combat human trafficking; report and put the perpetrators to jail.
People should call the National Human Trafficking Hotline (1-888-373-7888) if they suspect someone is being trafficked.
It is essential to be an informed consumer. You should know and avoid goods produced by child labor or forced labor.
You should volunteer or support anti-trafficking efforts in your community or even support an organisation of your choosing to create further awareness.
You should also be well-informed, read and share about the current human trafficking news.
You should donate to any organisation of your choosing, support a fundraiser or a gala for an anti-trafficking organization.
You should push your community to push for a human anti-trafficking courses throughout schooling. Parents, teachers and students should learn as much as they can; support awareness on the subject and understand the risks to protect themselves, their children and friends.

Conclusion

As human trafficking continues to grow worldwide, so does the need to come up with more efficient and advanced strategies that can help to combat this vice in our society. From educating and informing people about human trafficking to reporting trafficking cases and supporting anti-trafficking efforts in the community, everyone needs to be on board if this vice is to be stopped. Even with the right strategies; governments, private companies, non-governmental organizations, and communities have to work together to stop human trafficking.

The best way to prevent or reduce cases of human trafficking is by practicing the 4 Ps, including prevention, prosecution, protection, and partnership. This is because prevention will help to address the root causes and create awareness, while prosecution will help to investigate and make a judgment. On the other hand, protection will assist the victims, provide them with support, and compensate them. Last but not least, a partnership is also crucial as there is a need for enhanced cooperation with international organizations and other external partners.

While there are several anti-trafficking strategies in place, they are not very efficient. New and better strategies should be incorporated with the old ones to ensure that human traffickers are nabbed. Also, human trafficking organizations should work with countries and communities to be more effective.

Featured photo: Anete Lusina, Pexels