2010 8:23:32 AM

10 Questions about Human Trafficking

1. WHAT IS HUMAN TRAFFICKING?

Human trafficking is the recruitment and transportation of people from one place to another, or one country to another, by using deception or force for the purpose of exploitation. It is a criminal activity which violates human rights. For example, Sara is an 18 year old girl from Zambia who was promised a job as a waitress by her uncle who lives in Cape Town. When she arrived in Cape Town, she realized her uncle had cheated her; there was no waitress job as promised, instead he forced her to become a prostitute. Sara was trafficked and forced into sexual exploitation by her uncle. Sara is not the only one; every year an estimated 800 000 people are trafficked across international borders. There is limited information indicating how many people are trafficked within their own countries.

2. HOW DO TRAFFICKERS RECRUIT THEIR VICTIMS?

By offering potential victims false promises, traffickers paint a rosy picture of a better life, such as a good job, educational opportunity or marriage. If a potential victim falls for the false promises, the trafficker transports the person to another place or country for exploitation. The person becomes a victim of human trafficking.

3. WHY ARE PEOPLE TRAFFICKED?

By offering potential victims false promises, traffickers paint a rosy picture of a better life, such as a good job, educational opportunity or marriage. If a potential victim falls for the false promises, the trafficker transports the person to another place or country for exploitation. The person becomes a victim of human trafficking.

4. WHY DO VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING NOT RUN AWAY?

Victims of trafficking do not run away because they are controlled by their traffickers. For example through debt bondage, a victim is told that he or she owes the trafficker money used for transportation, accommodation, food or the like. The debt never decreases and the victim remains trapped by the trafficker. Other forms of control include taking and keeping a victims identity or travel documents, use of threats to harm the victims family, locking up the victim, and forced drug use. The victim is completely controlled and often too afraid to try to escape.

5. WHAT EFFECT DOES TRAFFICKING HAVE ON VICTIMS?

Often, victims do not even have basic control over their daily decisions such as when to sleep, eat or rest. Their lives are at the mercy of the traffickers who subject the victims to physical violence, repeated rape, torture, forced drug use, forced abortions and psychological manipulation. Victims risk contracting sexually transmitted infections such as HIV & AIDS. The trafficking experience is traumatic and damages the physical, mental and social well being of a person.

6. WHO CAN BECOME A VICTIM?

Even though anyone can be trafficked, traffickers target vulnerable people. Factors that cause vulnerability include lack of economic opportunities, poverty, unemployment, domestic violence and child-headed homes as a result of parents dying from AIDS related illnesses. Although men, women and children are all vulnerable, young women are particularly vulnerable as forcing them into prostitution financially benefits the traffickers. Human trafficking is driven by demand and supply, if there is a demand for forced sexual services or forced labour, traffickers use all means to meet those demands by targeting vulnerable people who are unaware of the harm and false pretenses under which they are recruited.

7. WHO MAKES THE TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS?

A trafficker usually makes all the travel arrangements and pays for all the costs such as transport, visas, tickets, meals and housing. This makes it easy for the trafficker to control the victim through debt bondage. If a victim is trafficked from one country to another, a trafficker may bribe state officials to get the right travel documents quickly.

8. WHO ARE THE TRAFFICKERS?

It is difficult to tell. Traffickers may come from the same poor socio-economic background as their victims. They appear to be successful business people able to offer their victims better opportunities. Sometimes even parents are involved in the trafficking of their children. Traffickers try to appear trustworthy. The financial gains involved allow for a wide variety of criminals to participate as recruiters, mules and aides in this crime.

9. SHOULD TRAFFICKED PEOPLE AVOID THE POLICE?

Victims who have been trafficked to another country are often told by the traffickers that any attempt to escape will lead to arrest or imprisonment. This is because victims are often without the right documents to legally stay in the country they have been trafficked to. The truth is that victims have often managed to escape to safety with the help of the police. The police can help persons who are trafficked, therefore victims should seek help from law enforcement.

10. WHAT CAN I DO?

If you know someone who has been trafficked, you have a duty to report the case to the police. In doing so, you will help to free someone from slavery, and ensure that the traffickers are caught and punished. If you are in South Africa, call the International Organization for Migrations (IOM) toll free helpline number for help:

0800 555 999

IOM has a comprehensive victims assistance programme which ensures that victims basic rights and dignity are restored. Do not become a victim of human trafficking. If a job offer or promise for a better life sounds too good to be true, then it probably is! Before you agree to any offers made to you, please verify that the job or education offer is genuine. Do not take chances with your life. Be familiar with toll free helpline, police stations, community resources and the like so that you can get help. This information may save you or someone else in a trafficking situation.

IOMs Southern African Counter-Trafficking Assistance Programme (SACTAP) offers help and support to victims of human trafficking. For information or assistance in South Africa call: IOMs tollfree helpline operates from 8.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. This pamphlet has been produced by the International Organization for Migration (IOM)

0800 555 999