Overview of Human Trafficking Issue
Human
trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery. Victims of human trafficking are
young children, teenagers, men and women. Victims of human trafficking are
subjected to force, fraud, or coercion, for the purpose of sexual exploitation
or forced labor.
After
drug dealing, trafficking of humans is tied with arms dealing as the second
largest criminal industry in the world, and is the fastest growing.
Many
victims of human trafficking are forced to work in prostitution or the sex
entertainment industry. But trafficking also occurs in forms of labor
exploitation, such as domestic servitude, restaurant work, janitorial work,
sweatshop factory work and migrant agricultural work.
Traffickers
use various techniques to instill fear in victims and to keep them enslaved.
Some traffickers keep their victims under lock and key. However, the more
frequent practice is to use less obvious techniques including:
- Debt bondage - financial obligations, honor-bound to satisfy debt
- Isolation from the public - limiting contact with outsiders and
making sure that any contact is monitored or superficial in nature
- Isolation from family members and members of their ethnic and
religious community
- Confiscation of passports, visas and/or identification documents
- Use or threat of violence toward victims and/or families of
victims
- The threat of shaming victims by exposing circumstances to family
- Telling victims they will be imprisoned or deported for
immigration violations if they contact authorities
- Control of the victims' money, e.g., holding their money for
"safe-keeping"
In
October 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) made human
trafficking a Federal crime. It was enacted to prevent human trafficking
overseas, to protect victims and help them rebuild their lives in the U.S., and to
prosecute traffickers of humans under Federal penalties. Prior to 2000, no
comprehensive Federal law existed to protect victims of trafficking or to
prosecute their traffickers.
What the HHS Does
Victim Identification and Public Awareness
Rescue and Restore Campaign
ATIP
leads the HHS Rescue and Restore Victims
of Human Trafficking public awareness campaign, which established Rescue and Restore coalitions in 24
cities, regions and States. These community action groups are comprised of NGO
leaders, academics, students, law enforcement agents, and other key
stakeholders who are committed to addressing the problem of human trafficking
in their own communities.
Rescue and Restore Regional Program
The
Rescue and Restore Regional
Program serves as the focal point for regional public awareness campaign
activities and intensification of local outreach to identify victims of human
trafficking. Each Rescue and Restore
Regional partner oversees and builds the capacity of a local anti-trafficking
network, sub-awarding 60 percent of grant funds to grassroots organizations
that identify and work with victims. By acting as a focal point for regional
anti-trafficking efforts, Rescue and
Restore Regional partners encourage a cohesive and collaborative
approach in the fight against modern-day slavery.
Assistance for Victims of Human Trafficking
Certifications and Eligibility Letters
HHS
is the sole Federal agency authorized to certify adult foreign victims of human
trafficking. Similarly, it is the sole Federal agency authorized to provide
Eligibility Letters to minor foreign victims of human trafficking. The Office
of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within HHS issues all Certifications and
Eligibility Letters. Certification grants adult foreign victims of human
trafficking access to Federal benefits and services to the same extent as
refugees. Likewise, Eligibility Letters grant minor foreign victims of trafficking
access to Federal benefits and services to the same extent as refugee s,
including placement in the Unaccompanied Refugee Minors program, which provides
specialized, culturally appropriate foster care or other licensed care
settings, according to children’s individual needs. Trafficking victims who are
U.S.
citizens or Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) do not need Certification or
Letters of Eligibility to be eligible for similar benefits and services.
Trafficking Victim Assistance Program
The
National Human Trafficking Victim Assistance Program provides funding for
comprehensive case management services on a per capita basis to foreign victims
of trafficking and potential victims seeking HHS Certification in any location
in the United States.
The grantees provide case management to assist a victim of trafficking to
become certified, and other necessary services after Certification, through a
network of sub-awardees in locations throughout the country.
These
grants ensure the provision of case management, referrals, and emergency
assistance (such as food, clothing, and shelter) to victims of human
trafficking and certain family members. They help them gain access to housing,
employability services, mental health screening and therapy, medical care, and
some legal services, enabling them to live free of violence and exploitation.
The
trafficking victim services grantees, and the regions in which they or their
partners provide services, are as follows:
- U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
(USCRI): HHS Regions 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10;
- Heartland Human Care Services: HHS Regions 1, 2 and 5; and
- Tapestri, Inc.: HHS Region 4.
National Human Trafficking Resource
Center
The National Human Trafficking Resource Center
(NHTRC) is a national, toll-free hotline for the human trafficking field in the
United States
and is reached by calling 1-888-3737-888
or emailing NHTRC@PolarisProject.org. The NHTRC operates 24 hours a day, seven
days a week, every day of the year. The NHTRC works to improve the national
response to protect victims of human trafficking in the U.S. by
providing callers with a range of comprehensive services, including crisis
intervention, urgent and non-urgent referrals, tip reporting, and comprehensive
anti-trafficking resources and technical assistance for the anti-trafficking
field and those who wish to get involved. The NHTRC is able to connect
community members with additional tools to raise awareness and combat human
trafficking in their local areas, as well as guide service providers and law
enforcement personnel in their work with potential trafficking victims. To
perform these functions, the NHTRC maintains a national database of
organizations and individuals working in the anti-trafficking field, as well as
a library of available anti-trafficking resources and materials.
