Human trafficking involves the illegal trade of humans for exploitation. Europe and the EU are in no way spared from modern slavery or forced labour. In recent years, the slave traders have targeted Africa – where they lured young Africans to Europa with promises of well-paid jobs. This is done by reputable companies that act as subcontractors to European prestige brands such as Mercedes and Volvo.

BUCHAREST AUGUST 2022: Human trafficking involves the illegal trade of humans for exploitation in any manner, in exchange for goods and money. These illegal operations are often observed in less developed countries, where poverty and information could be considered less available.

The common targets of human trafficking are people looking for better livelihood and stability. A promise of gainful employment, benefits, and relocation assistance is often offered by human traffickers to trick their victims into going abroad on illegal transportation. Upon arrival, the victims would be told that they are illegally stepping on foreign soil, leaving them with no choice other than working for way less than they were promised.

The sad plight of human trafficking victims would vary depending on their employer. Some would be enslaved for cheap labor and would be paid in highly unjustified wages. Some would be sold for sexual exploitation. In extreme cases, victims would be sold to sadistic employers for torture and eventual death.

Europe and the EU are in no way spared from modern slavery or forced labour. According to the Global Slavery Index, Romania has one of the highest populations living in modern-day slavery in Eastern Europe. In recent years, the slave traders have targeted Africa – where they lured young Africans to Romania with promises of well-paid jobs. Once in Romania, they have often been stripped of their passports and forced to work without pay under slave-like conditions. This is also done by reputable companies that act as subcontractors to European prestige brands such as Mercedes and Volvo. Brands that praise themselves for their high morals.

In a high-profile arrest made by the Interpol in Morocco in the year 2021, a 34-year-old male was arrested as a suspect involved in trafficking women. He would take women from Congo to Morocco and bring them to European countries for prostitution. In another high-profile case, an Ivorian man was arrested by the Interpol, suspected to be running an entire syndicate trafficking women from Morocco and Guinea and sending them to Spain for prostitution. Local arrests and investigations made by the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the US have resulted to the incarceration of three men from Rhode Islands involved in selling immigrant women as sex slaves, under the guise of gainful employment.

Over the past 3 decades, efforts against human trafficking has risen among African and European countries. Interpol, for instance, has launched project WEKA II, which lays out steps in cooperating with 39 African and Middle Eastern countries to help fight human trafficking. For the first quarter of 2022, a total of 700 human trafficking victims have been rescued and placed under counselling and job placements. Some countries have started offering job and immigration reliefs to some of the victims, fulfilling the promise of gainful employment.

While the efforts have been extensively helpful to victims, it cannot be denied that something is lacking in the response to human trafficking. According to the American statistic organization, Chance, the challenge of counting human trafficking victims begins and almost always ends with the fact that these people come from developing nations. Forms of identification in these countries are almost impossible to detect with the manual record-keeping and the lack of reliable police case reporting. Today, statistical methodologies and no solid evidences are being used to estimate the number of undetected victims of human trafficking. This makes it impossible for authorities in WEKA countries to make arrests and rescue victims. Apart from undetected victims, the rehabilitation of rescued victims can also be problematic. Some of these victims have been used as instruments of crime, prostitution, and abuse. The psychological challenges of being tricked into abuse can make it difficult for them to get back to productive society. For some of these victims, the rescue has been too late.

While the arrests and rescues are proving to be good deterrents, these should not be taken as ultimate solutions. Preventative measures need to be taken by all countries involved in order to solve the problem at its root cause. Economic and educational reforms need to be implemented to make sure that more potential victims are equipped to avoid the schemes used by human traffickers. Making more decent jobs available within the country’s borders and securing safe jobs abroad should be prioritized by developing nations so that citizens would have lower chances of succumbing to human traffickers. Better rehabilitation programs and more effective guidance and counselling should also be given to the victims in order to allow them to go back to society and be productive. Teaching them new skills and helping them find their passion would help them get back to their normal lives and start working towards a better one.

In solving the problem as severe and traumatizing as human trafficking, the world needs to start looking both at what the world is and what the world can be. Arrests and rescues are still desperately needed by the victims, but starting on more proactive solutions would be needed in making the arrests more meaningful.

Are You A Victim Of Human Trafficking?

You can always try contacting your country’s embassy. If your country was involved in operation WEKA II – INTERPOL coordinated police action against human trafficking – there is a good chance that you will get help from the embassy.

The following countries participated in Weka II: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina-Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic Of Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Greece, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Iraq, Jordan, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Oman, Sao Tome And Principe, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates and Zimbabwe.

There are also some organizations you can turn to for advice and support:

International Justice Mission
A global organization that protects people in poverty from violence. They partner with local authorities in 24 program offices in 14 countries to combat trafficking and slavery, violence against women and children, and police abuse of power.

Anti-Slavery International
Help free adults and children from slavery today and protect people from exploitation tomorrow.

Migrant Help
Migrant Help, exist to protect people affected by displacement and exploitation, helping them thrive as individuals and recover from their trauma. They support those most in need and least likely to find support elsewhere, whilst aiming to bridge community gaps and bring services and support together.

Modern Slavery & Exploitation Helpline
Unseen is a UK charity with its head office in Bristol. They provide safehouses and support in the community for survivors of trafficking and modern slavery.

Services Available To Victims of Human Trafficking
This booklet can guide service providers in helping their clients access services. It briefly describes the many community and State-funded resources available for victims

You can also try contacting the local church or the Salvation Army, priests often have a duty of confidentiality.

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