Human Trafficking in China Essay

Human trafficking is the illegal harbouring and trade of persons who are used for the purpose of exploitation to benefit the trafficker. Currently, developing areas such as Asia, Africa, Central and Eastern European Countries, Latin America, and the Caribbean are main origin regions. Destination areas include Asia, Western Africa, Western Europe, and North America. In addition, based on the studies executed by the International Labor Organization, there are 20.9 million men, women, and children being trafficked globally. Many forms of human trafficking are present in the world today such as, forced labor, sexual exploitation,

human trafficking is one of the fastest illegal trade in the world especially in countries such as China. Human trafficking is more of a modernized type of slavery that involves fraud, force, or having the trafficker persuade their victims to do something by using force or threats. Many victims of human trafficking victims fall prey to this type of crime by being sold by family, abducted, tricked, or lured in by false jobs advertisement, and many more. Human trafficking is a booming illegal business where the criminals can exploit women and child for services that involve labor or sex which can also be accessed on the internet. When these victims become involved in human trafficking, they become high risk to abuse, drug use, and sexually transmitted diseases. A lot of these sex trafficking victims are forced to work in places such via online ads or escort services, fake massage parlors, residential brothels, on the streets, hotels and motels, and sweatshops.

Human trafficking, or the selling and buying of people, is a well-hidden yet prominent issue within today’s society. It is both an immoral and horrific topic that needs brought to attention and dealt with. When human beings are manipulated into work, sexual servitude, or economic hardship, human trafficking is occurring. In the year of 2006, only one individual is convicted of human trafficking per 800 victims (UNGIFT). By looking at straight statistics, reasons human trafficking happens, and the toll it has on people, it is very clear that this is a major issue that is happening in our world.

“Globalization influences human trafficking as traffickers take advantage of new transparent borders, broadband communication, and economic upheaval to prey on those most vulnerable … people are largely defined by their economic worth, and since the most vulnerable have only their bodies to sell (labor … sex) … human beings become commodities and victims” (Burke 2013). Additionally, chapter four defines population and migration as an explanation for human trafficking. As the world’s population increases dramatically, there are many poor and vulnerable individuals who are forced to find a way to survive. “Traffickers are resourceful, inventive, and opportunistic, and can find a way to manipulate … population growth … there is an increase in the supply of potential victims who traffickers can exploit and from whom they can profit” (Burke 2013). Victims are driven into human trafficking because they are unable to sustain themselves living in poverty, or are vulnerable as an immigrant or refugee.

Although human trafficking is the fastest growing process by which a person is enslaved, it is also the fastest growing international crime and one of the largest growing incomes for organised crime. It is estimated that at least 12.3 million people are victims of forced labour worldwide. Of these 2.4 million are as a result of human trafficking. Consequently it 1.2 million children are trafficked every year.(STOP THE TRAFFIK 2014) Six hundred thousand to eight hundred thousand men, women and children are trafficked across international borders each year. Approximately eighty percent are women and children and up to half of them are minors. Predominantly the vast majority of trafficked people come from the poorest countries and the poorest strata of the national people. Human trafficking is the second largest source of illegal income, being surpassed by drugs trafficking. Some trafficking groups have been reported to be switching their cargo from drugs to human beings, in a search of high profits at a lower risk. (STOP THE TRAFFIK 2014)

Asian girls are especially vulnerable to trafficking due to their traditional Asian cultural and social values. There is a need to obey parents and support the family. Too, females and children are often viewed as lower than men and in some cases are viewed as property to be sold or bargained with. These traditional cultural values create situations where females are susceptible to trafficking. Given these values and poverty mean that girls and their families may be easily deceived into accepting gainful employment with the assumption that they will be able to earn enough money to support their families.

Women and children leave home in search of better lives and that makes them vulnerable to traffickers (Haerens 28). Traffickers lead their victims to believe that they would have a better life than before. One of the biggest offer traffickers present to their victims is that they will have a job if they go with them, but in the end, they will probably not end up with a paying job (Petriligieri 3). Traffickers offer many other solutions such as a bright future, better standard of living, sense of belonging and love (Pittaro 3). People living in impoverished areas do not have the same opportunity to get an education as we, in the United States, do (“Global Recession” 1). In the Philippines they “sweet talk” the parents to allow their daughters to leave their homes and work in Manila as “domestic helpers with promises of huge salaries that they would be able to send back home to help their families” (“Human Trafficking Is Caused” 1). Once they get there, they end up in forced labor or prostitution ( Haerens

The US State Department classifies China as a source, transit, and destination country for sex trafficking . Human trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation is the second largest form of organized crime in Asia. China is a common thread in many of the complex trafficking networks working in Asia. The Human Trafficking Organization reports, China transits victims from all over the world to Thailand and Malaysia. In addition to transiting, China is a popular destination country, importing women throughout the region from Burma, Vietnam, Laos, Mongolia, Russia, and North Korea . Analyzing the attitude, culture, and opinion shifts through Chinese media will shed further light on the human trafficking phenomenon and look at the regional impact, due to China’s extensive involvement in sex trafficking.

Because of China’s gender imbalance, the way men and women find love has changed over the years. In fact, it is predicted that millions of men will be forced with problems such as forced marriages, trafficking of women, surrogate motherhood and prostitution. With a government birth control policy so huge the impacts are endless. However, it has created an act of violence within the country. China has fewer married couples and smaller families than ever before. Sex-trafficking is one alternative men and women find to get the partner they desire. Most women in the trafficking business are not forced to join, they join simply to date. It’s another way for them to find love, depending on their expectations. Because women have high expectations for men, men find themselves in the business because they can’t afford the bride in many cases. Another form of “dating” for China is “rent-a-girlfriend”. It is more so used over holidays when men are expected to bring home a girl. The policy has not only created problems with couples marrying now but it has created a problem with the overall population.

Human trafficking is the second largest criminal industry. Men, women and children are exploited against their will with the use of violence. There are many different types of trafficking such as forced prostitution, forced labor, forced begging, forced criminality, domestic servitude, forced marriage and forced organ removal. Traffickers target vulnerable people that are struggling with basic human needs, people trying to escape ethnic discrimination or government corruption, it could be the reason why Mexico is one of the main locations where human trafficking happens. Some other factors traffickers consider are age, poverty, gender, unemployment, sexual abuse, mental health problems or sexual identity issues. There’s not an exact or accurate statistics because many trafficked people are never identified but according to the U.S state department between 600,00 and 820,00 men, women and children are trafficked and 50% are minors ("Human Trafficking." Global Issues in Context Online Collection).

In South Africa, notorious as the main country used as a source, transit, and destination for trafficked persons. Many of these cases are women trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced into domestic servitude, although men are mostly trafficked for labor such as agricultural services, food service and street vending. Child sex tourism is

The map indicates that the United States is one of the most popular destinations for human trafficking. Countries where there is a very high number of trafficked people being sent to include the United States, Alaska, Turkey, Italy, Greece, Germany, Thailand and Japan. Countries where there is a high number of trafficked people being sent to include Canada, Australia, Egypt, China, India, France, Spain, Austria, Hungary, Czech Republic, the Netherlands and

Some corrupt Governments are even directly involved and profiting from the human traffic trade, which is just tragic. Countries like China and Russia find loop holes to get out of putting in effort to stop Human Trafficking. In fact an article in the Washington Post stated that China, Russia, and Uzbekistan were downgraded to the lowest ranking possible, Tier 3 (Editorial Board). It makes absolutely no sense that these countries would be downgraded to a lower level of observation. Ranking them down means that more will turn away from the crimes that take place on a daily bases. Of course this change raised eyebrows in 2013. China and Russia are high in reports of sex rings and forced labor. According to the World Atlas, Russia is listed to be one of the most dangerous and human trafficking pervasive countries in the world (WorldAtlas). Many would assume the countries’ government would be more concerned with the issue but all they do is attempt to keep it in the shadows. China claims that their forced labor is actually better known as “re-education through labor”, only to save face and generate government profits (Editorial Board). They sugar coat human trafficking as if it’s way to help citizens in their country. In truth, one of the main reasons why human trafficking is still going on in China and other countries is because the government actually benefits from these illegal businesses. Therefore it’s only right that we hold government and companies that use forced human labor accountable for human trafficking. By doing this, there is someone to blame meaning we have somewhere to

In 2007, the U.S. state Department reported, “600,000 to 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders every year,” “1 million is the number of children exploited by the global commercial sex trade every year,” and “161 countries identified as affected by human trafficking” (Polaris Project, DoSomething.org).

Many ask “what gave way for the rise of human trafficking in the People’s Republic of China”? To fully grasp that question, one must understand exactly the way China’s government operates, and the current economic state of the nation. As of 2017, there are two contributing factors to the growth of the sale of women in China: a desire for economic development, and corrupt governing heads of state. Due to country’s rapid rise in economic growth throughout, many citizens are noticing the gap between the poor and the rich skyrocket. According to Tee Zheng, an international journalist for the Fair Observer, he states “people are beginning to resort to crime to make ends meet for their families”, and this even means joining in on street gangs that participate in the human trade. To make the situation worse in China, government officials play a key role in allowing traffickers to smuggle. The trade of human beings in China is a product of the heritage of corrupted government officials and their transnational partners aboard. Through combining government, power, and organized crime, these people facilitate the multitude of slaves being trafficked. These groups operate on a global scale, and work in unison with other dishonest heads of