Hernandez 1

Modern-Day Slavery
Jessica Hernandez
Geo 350 T/Th
Professor T. Ritz
April 23, 2015

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The 2014 Global Slavery Index estimates there are 35.8 million people living in some
form of modern slavery globally. There are 3,287 people sold or kidnapped and forced into
slavery every day! That is 136 people per hour, but only the reported cases. And most of these
cases are children and women who are also sold repeatedly for sex. Therefore, it is a little known
fact but it is real and it is happening all around us, even in the United States. According to
Straker human trafficking is defined as, The recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or
receipt of persons: by the threat or use of kidnapping, force, fraud, deception or coercion, or by
the giving or receiving of unlawful payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person
having control over another person, and for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced labor.
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery in todays world in many countries and there are more
people enslaved today then ever before. The graph below gives the percentages of people being
trafficked into the US each year and what kinds of exploitation they face. The way its done is
by threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability,
or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim. The main purpose is
exploitation, which includes prostitution of others, forced labour, slavery and the removal of

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their organs. Approximately people from 127 countries are being trafficked to 137 countries,
therefore affecting every continent and every type of economy. 161 countries are affected by
human trafficking by either being a source, transit or destination country. Human trafficking is
the second highest illegal profit worldwide surpassed only by drug trafficking.

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The Global Slavery Index 2014 states, The top ten countries with the largest estimated
numbers of people in modern slavery are: India, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Russia, Nigeria,
the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Thailand. Together, these ten
countries account for 71 percent of the total estimate of 35.8 million people living in modern
slavery. Many of the people taken into trafficking come to the U.S for the main destination to be
exploited. The regions with the lowest estimates of people enslaved are Europe and North

America. The map below demonstrates the countries of origin where people are taken from, the
most populated is in red indicating a very high trafficking.
It is suggested that globalization has provided for an easier means of exploiting those
living in poverty who are seeking better lives, it also has provided for dramatic improvements in
transportation and communications with which to facilitate the physical processing of persons.
Push and pull factors contribute to the migration of people which can be human trafficking.
People face push factors, such as wanting a better life, income, or safety. As claimed by
globalization 101 site, Another fourth trend facilitating increases in human trafficking is rising

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incomes in sending countries. Initially increasing prosperity in developing countries does not
reduce the need for migration by mitigating the push factors. Consequently, the pull factor is
being lured by traffickers because they lie about giving them what they want. When it comes to
international migration of people it is often associated with modern day slavery due to the fact
that many are forced to leave their foreign country. It is involuntary migration to other countries
other than their own, which means that they are held coercively unwilling.
One of the main contributing factors to this increase in trafficking has been the
widespread enslavement of women. The International Labour Organization indicates, Ethnic
minorities or lower class groups are more vulnerable to trafficking, because these women and
girls have a very low social status that puts them at risk. Another contributor to the increase in
trafficking is political and economic crisis in conflict or post-conflict areas. Populations in many
countries have changed due to human trafficking. The breakdown of society and the rule of law
have made these displaced populations vulnerable for a better future or an exit from their current
countries. An estimated 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked annually in the United States
alone. The number of US citizens trafficked within the country are even higher, with an
estimated more than 200,000 American children at high risk for trafficking into the sex industry
each year. Victims of trafficking often come from vulnerable populations, including migrants,
oppressed or marginalized groups, runaways or displaced persons, and the poor.

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The table above demonstrates the number of human trafficking in the world. Men,
women and children are trafficked within their own countries and across international borders.
Trafficking affects every continent and most countries. As reported by Phillip Martin, Every
country is affected by human trafficking, whether they are an origin country where people are
trafficked from; a transit country where people are trafficked through; or a destination country
where people are trafficked to. Generally a country will be all three. Men, women and children
are trafficked. The UNODC states, Due to the hidden and illegal nature of human trafficking,
gathering statistics on the scale of the problem is difficult, statistics may represent an
underestimation of trafficking, but are the most credible and frequently quoted.

Bibliography
Web. 20 Apr. 2015. <http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-andanalysis/glotip/GLOTIP_2014_full_report.pdf>.

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"United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime." What Is Human Trafficking? Web. 21 Apr. 2015.
<http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/human-trafficking/what-is-human-trafficking.html>.
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Martin, Phillip. "Schuster Institute Investigative Journalism." Schuster Institute Investigative
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trafficking-boston-to-Bangkok/c1y6t>.
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