| Question: |
What is trafficking? Is it
slavery? |
| Answer: |
Human trafficking involves the movement of people through
violence, deception or coercion for the purpose of forced
labour, servitude or slavery-like practices.
It is
slavery because traffickers use violence, threats, and other
forms of coercion to force their victims to work against their
will. This includes controlling their freedom of movement,
where and when they will work and what pay, if any, they will
receive.
|
| Q: |
Where is trafficking found?
|
| A: |
Trafficking is a global problem affecting
every continent and most countries. It occurs within and
across national borders and ranks as one of the most lucrative
forms of international crime.
|
| Q: |
How many people are
trafficked?
|
| A: |
It is impossible to know and statistics are
difficult to obtain because trafficking is an underground
activity. A US Government report published in 2004, estimates
that 600,000-800,000 people worldwide are trafficked across
borders each year. This figure does not include those who are
trafficked internally.
Hundreds of women and children
are trafficked each year to the UK. Research carried out for
the Home Office in 2000 estimates that in one year, between
142 and 1,420 women are trafficked into the country; the
figure may be higher as the research was based solely on
reported cases.
|
| Q: |
Are only women trafficked?
|
| A: |
No, men, women and children are all victims of
trafficking; although the majority are women and
children.
|
| |
Q: Are people only trafficked for
prostitution?
|
| A: |
No. People are trafficked into a variety of
situations. For example, West African children are recruited
into a range of exploitative work and transported illegally
throughout the region; Chinese and Vietnamese women are
trafficked to some Pacific islands as sweatshop labour making
goods for the US market; men are trafficked from Mexico and
forced to work on farms in the US.
|
| Q: |
Why are people trafficked? Is it a new
problem? What causes it?
|
| A: |
The trafficking in human beings is not new.
But it is a rapidly growing problem. A number of factors have
led to its expansion, such as the easy profits made from
exploitation; growing deprivation and marginalisation of the
poor; discrimination against women; restrictive migration
laws; a lack of information about the realities and dangers of
trafficking and insufficient penalties against traffickers.
|
| Q: |
Are trafficking and smuggling the
same?
|
| A: |
No. Trafficking and smuggling
are not the same. Human trafficking involves deceiving or
coercing someone to move -- either within a country or abroad
through legal or illegal channels -- for the purpose of
exploiting him or her.
Smuggling is assisting someone
for a fee to cross a border illegally.
|
| Q: |
What work is Anti-Slavery International
doing on this issue?
|
| A: |
In November 2001, Anti-Slavery International
launched its campaign against human trafficking. We aim to
draw attention to this global problem and call for national
and international policy changes that will penalise
traffickers, protect trafficked people's rights and address
the root causes.
Please visit our campaigns
page to find out more
Anti-Slavery International is also working to promote
legislative and judicial policy changes which will help both
to prosecute traffickers and protect the rights of the person
trafficked (project
summary). It is crucial that those who are trafficked are
treated as the victims of a human rights violation and not as
illegal
migrants. |
