Human Trafficking - Does crime pay?
Human Trafficking is basically buying an selling human beings for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation or forced labour. If you're like me an have a relatively pleasant view of the world, you won't realise how big an industry it is.
With an estimated $32bn profits every year, it's considered the third most lucrative business for organised crime (behind drugs and arms dealing).
The profit margins in this industry are huge. For example, Nigerian women who are forced to have sex for $13, have to pay up to $78,000 to quit being a prostitute. The fact that so much money is being made from buying and selling people raises the questions of 'why has it got this bad?' and 'what can we do to stop it?'.
Although these methods are affective. The problem is definitely awareness. If I were to tell you to ring up the human trafficking helpline could you do it? I highly doubt it.
Luckily, despite the lack of awareness, the disciplinary action regarding human trafficking is severe. Life sentence is given for those who traffic for sexual exploitation, and 20 years is given to those who do it for forced labour.
Is this good enough? I'll let you decide, but just before I go, I'll leave you with some rather shocking statistics.
With an estimated $32bn profits every year, it's considered the third most lucrative business for organised crime (behind drugs and arms dealing).
The profit margins in this industry are huge. For example, Nigerian women who are forced to have sex for $13, have to pay up to $78,000 to quit being a prostitute. The fact that so much money is being made from buying and selling people raises the questions of 'why has it got this bad?' and 'what can we do to stop it?'.
Why has it got this bad?
Clearly the answer here is profits. When it comes to organised crime, people will do anything to make a profit, and at $32bn a year going to the industry. There's no doubt it will be worth your while. The problem is, I thought we've always been told that 'Crime doesn't pay'. Surely there's something we can do?What can we do to stop it?
Well, fortunately there is something we are actually doing to try and clamp down on human trafficking. Numerous charities and help lines have been set up in order to try and save victims and help them escape their traffickers.Although these methods are affective. The problem is definitely awareness. If I were to tell you to ring up the human trafficking helpline could you do it? I highly doubt it.
Luckily, despite the lack of awareness, the disciplinary action regarding human trafficking is severe. Life sentence is given for those who traffic for sexual exploitation, and 20 years is given to those who do it for forced labour.
Is this good enough? I'll let you decide, but just before I go, I'll leave you with some rather shocking statistics.
