Human Trafficking: Closer than you think

When people think about human trafficking, they think of countries in Asia and Africa, but it’s a growing problem in our own backyard. The government estimates that up to 17,500 people are trafficked into the United States each year for purposes of labor and commercial sexual exploitation.

In 2007, the US Senate marked January 11 as a day of awareness for the countless victims of human trafficking across the globe.

• Human trafficking has become the second largest criminal industry in the world.
• Experts estimate that about 27,000,000 people worldwide are victims of human trafficking but the actual number is impossible to know because many of these people do not report the crimes.
• The age of the children who are trafficked is getting younger: the youngest on average is now age 3.
• People are trafficked for various reasons: women and children for sex; men, women and children for labor.
• Human trafficking is a lucrative business but because it’s illegal trade, it’s hard to know exactly how much money changes hands. It’s estimated at between 10 billion and possibly, up to 42 billion.

What can you do?

• Awareness can create change that can become action. Organize an awareness campaign in your community.
• The battle to end slavery begins by revealing it. Learn about cases of slavery in YOUR backyard and spread the news!