Recognizing and Combating Human Trafficking
Immigrants, particularly those who do not have legal authorization, are vulnerable to many different abuses at the hands of unscrupulous people. Of all the issues facing immigrants, human trafficking is one of the most dangerous. Victims of human trafficking suffer abuse, exploitation, and degradation. Often, the conditions under which these victims live are a modern-day version of slavery. Recent estimates indicate that nearly 20,000 persons are trafficked into the United States every year, with a substantial number trafficked into Florida. “Human trafficking” is generally defined as the use of force, fraud or coercion to obtain a victim to engage in involuntary servitude or slavery, to participate in sexual activity, or to be held in peonage or debt bondage. Human trafficking can take many different forms. Some victims are promised employment, only to find themselves owing money to their employers and never able to work off their debt. Others are forced […]