Guest Posts
Trafficking in Our Backyard: The Link between Trafficking and Immigration
Rathish Pandian grew up in Tamil Nadu, Southern India, but fled to the U.S. as an adult after being threatened by government authorities for his political views. Upon arrival here, he was offered a job by another immigrant from his country at a Subway restaurant, but his trafficker…
Human Trafficking Surrounding the Olympics
The ongoing political, economic and public health crisis in Brazil coupled with the near-total lack of preparation for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games makes this a challenging time for Brazil. Besieged by rumors of shoddy construction, insufficient funds and inadequate planning…
Youth Leadership on Anti-Human Trafficking
Throughout modern history, some of the most successful human rights movements in the United States and globally have had a strong student and/or youth voice that has proved invaluable to advancing the cause. For human rights struggles to be effective, they should reflect the breath and width of society to allow for all types of voices to be heard, including those of students and youth.
It is the New Year: Reflections and Projections
Happy New Year from everyone at Human Trafficking Search! As we bring in the New Year, we hope that you will join us in reflecting on this past year and looking forward to some fresh goals in the US for 2016.
This past year, Human Trafficking Search shared informative weekly blog posts on current events related to human trafficking and the anti-trafficking movement. Our posts covered a variety of topics, from speaking to children about trafficking to trafficking in specific countries, such as Brazil or Nepal. In recap, please enjoy reading some of our most popular posts from the year.
Expanding Legal Options for Foreign National Trafficking Victims
Both U.S. Citizens and Foreign Nationals can be victims of human trafficking in the United States. Foreign National victims of human trafficking may sometimes be living within the United States in an undocumented immigration status. To address the particular vulnerabilities of these victims, the Trafficking and Victims Protection Act creates certain immigration protections for foreign national trafficking victims so that they remain legally within the United States.
Nepal’s Earthquakes, ‘Orphans,’ and Volunteers
In the aftermath of the earthquakes in Nepal in April and May, social media was flooded with people raising money for various relief efforts, including children’s care homes, disaster relief operations, and volunteer assistance trips to child orphanages in Nepal. While well intentioned, many failed to realize the true impact their volunteering or donations to children’s care homes post-earthquake might have as child care homes in Nepal come under scrutiny for their possible links to child exploitation and child trafficking.
Controversy Surrounding the U.S. Trafficking Report
On July 27th, the United States Department of State issued the 2015 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. This year’s TIP Report has received pushback for upgrading certain countries with poor human trafficking records, under the suspicion that the upgrades were based on political considerations instead of evaluating the countries on anti-trafficking prevention criteria. The upgrades of Malaysia and Cuba within the TIP Report have garnered particular criticism.
Protecting Unaccompanied Mexican Migrant Child Trafficking Victims
Recently, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report regarding the care of unaccompanied migrant children by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The GAO report entitled Unaccompanied Alien Children: Actions Needed to Ensure Children Receive Required Care in DHS Custody, found that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents have not consistently screened unaccompanied Mexican children in their custody for trafficking.
Why the Migrant Crisis in the Mediterranean is Not Human Trafficking
In the mass media coverage about Europe’s migrant crisis, in which an estimated 1,850 people have lost their lives so far this year crossing the Mediterranean, fingers have been pointed at “traffickers”, accused both of amplifying both the scale of the migration flow and being responsible for the most devastating of the humanitarian consequences of the trade. This is a conceptual error.
The Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report- What is it and Why Is it Important?
Soon, the United States Department of State will issue the 2015 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. The TIP Report is the …