The Pros And Cons Of Human Trafficking

Problem Statement

Human trafficking is the commodification of forced human labor (sexual or otherwise) and the trade of human beings, often times across country lines.

According to the fact sheet compiled by Human Rights First, it is estimated that twenty-one million people are victims and enslaved by this exploitation of labor (2017). The break down of these numbers indicate that sixty-eight percent of those exploited are for the labor industry, twenty-two percent for the sex industry, and ten percent by the state (Human Rights First, 2017). This data is supported by Feingold’s article, in which he articulates that the widest markets of trafficking is for the labor force, and not the sex industry, despite common misconceptions (2005, 26).

To say the very least, the industry is large as a whole, but it gets more complicated than that. An issue created by trafficking, as mentioned above, indicates that the organized crime groups are pre-established and engage in trafficking based on economic demand, and that these groups are intricate and interconnected. While this is true in some cases, to say that trafficking only occurs within obvious, organized crime circles is factually inaccurate. Feingold acknowledges that the industry is a “big business,” but also one of “disorganized crime”; this means that these crimes are carried out by small groups or individuals, which are often interlinked with other small groups (2005, 28). This creates a major problem in accountability; there is no definite leader who gives the commands and can accept all the punishment. If you take out one small group, it will have an overall insignificant effect on the industry as a whole, as it is only a small portion of the crime circle in general. Feingold furthers this point by stating that small persecutions of the offenders will hardly interrupt the “flow” of trafficking, especially considering how one person could easily be replaced, thus having an overall ineffective result