World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

The 30th of July 2018 marks the World Day against Trafficking in Persons. The annual event is held to encourage greater comprehension and engagement in the international community regarding the plight of victims and their vulnerabilities.

Why It Is Necessary

There is a dire need for cases of human exploitation to be understood by the general public, which is essentially why the United Nations made The World Day against Trafficking in Persons a yearly occasion. Human trafficking represents a reprehensible and despicable crime that is in direct violation of the fundamental prerogatives of men, women and children. Trafficking is an act of transgression that adversely affects thousands of unprotected individuals worldwide. Women and children are more susceptible to traffickers, who may retain them in the same country or send them abroad in some situations as well.

Human trafficking is a rampant scourge of every country in the world. Its prevalence is what prompted the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), as facilitator of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and associated protocols, to clamp down on human trafficking worldwide.

How Trafficking Works

Human trafficking is defined by the United Nations as the recruitment, transportation and harboring of individuals through perceived threats, means of intimidation, fraudulent activity or the abuse of power, for the solitary purpose of manipulation and exploitation.

The event highlights the predicament faced by those who are exposed to human traffickers. Victims are often misled or duped into the hands of traffickers. They are given the hope of finding greener pastures, such as employment that could alter the lives of their family. Alternatively, many are coerced, abducted or sold to traffickers as well. Regardless, the outcome is uniform: victims of trafficking are compelled to shed basic rights and privileges. Instead, they are abused and oppressed at the hands of their attackers. Unfortunately, human trafficking is basically a self sustaining and lucrative industry.

Furthermore, those who suffer from trafficking are forced to engage in activities like difficult, manual labor and prostitution as well, without being compensated in return for their efforts. Additionally, credentials such as documents that prove their identity are removed. Victims are often placed in regions where they may not know the local language and they are threatened if they attempt to escape the travesty. The harsh reality of human trafficking is that targets are bereft of any help and continue to suffer, devoid of any connection to their previous life, for ages.

A Solution

Quite simply, dedicating an entire day to human trafficking is a counter measure aimed at underlining the issue and bringing it to the forefront of public perception. Given that human trafficking is a global concern, having a designated World Day against trafficking in persons serves to emphasize the dilemma experienced by thousands across the planet.

Human trafficking shares much of the same variables as other crises like domestic violence and homelessness. All three instances include individuals who are unsafe and deprived of their ability to make independent decisions. They may feel that there is no help for them and that can lead to a host of physical and psychological concerns.

Community Homeless Solutions provide a safe haven for victims of trafficking, violence and homelessness. Visit our website to learn more about rectify these serious threats.