| | |  Editorials | Issues | December 2009 
Modern-Day Slavery in Mexico and the United States
 Megan McAdams - Council on Hemispheric Affairs
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December 22, 2009
 |  | While world leaders publicly acknowledge the destructive nature of this illegal industry, countries must work together to truly eradicate human trafficking. |  | | |
On December 3, Mexico City police freed 107 human trafficking victims who were forced to manufacture shopping bags and clothespins under “slave-like” circumstances. Officials reported that the victims exhibited signs of physical and sexual abuse, and were also malnourished, as they had been given only chicken feet and rotten vegetables. Twenty-three individuals were arrested and charged with human trafficking after one of the workers escaped and informed the authorities about the dire situation. Despite that fact that Mexican states have enacted some forms of anti-trafficking legislation, there have been no criminal convictions of traffickers to date. In the coming months, it awaits to be seen if those captured on December 3rd will be convicted. While the discovery of this trafficking ring has made for lurid headlines, doubt regarding whether or not these criminals will be brought to justice illuminates the fact that Mexico still has a long road ahead in eradicating the destructive industry of human trafficking.
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is the fastest growing illegal industry in the world and, by 2010, it is predicted to surpass the illicit drug trade, which will make it the world’s largest criminal activity. The United Nations defines human trafficking as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, […] for the purpose of exploitation.” A common misconception is that an individual must cross international borders to be considered a victim of human trafficking; however, as evidenced by the United Nations’s definition, this is not always the case.
According to the United Nations, human trafficking generates an estimated $32 billion in revenue each year. According to a State Department estimate, between 600,000 and 800,000 individuals are trafficked annually, with women and children especially being targeted. The State Department estimates that 70 percent of trafficking victims are female and that nearly 50 percent of the victims are younger than 18. Moreover, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), of the 12.3 million people who are currently subjected to forced labor, bonded labor, or the commercial sex industry, 2.4 million have been trafficked. Of these, 80 percent are used for sexual exploitation while the remaining victims are forced to labor on farms or in factories.
President Obama Addresses Trafficking
President Obama spoke in Tokyo last November about the need for international collaboration in fighting against modern-day slavery. Mr. Obama discussed the need for vigilance in combating human trafficking, stating that the industry is a “transnational problem.” He went on to emphasize that countries must work together to put a “stop to this scourge of modern-day slavery once and for all.” Many anti-trafficking advocates argue that the emotional reaction engendered by “slavery” accurately captures the industry’s deplorable nature and applauded President Obama’s use of modern slavery.
On the subject of using the term, “slavery,” Luis C. de Baca, the U.S. Ambassador for Human Trafficking, remarked, “we cannot create terms that are too bland, [because they] ameliorate the conditions victims experience.” Human trafficking thus represses basic human rights and represents a global civil rights imperative. While world leaders publicly acknowledge the destructive nature of this illegal industry, countries must work together to truly eradicate human trafficking. In particular, neighboring countries, like the U.S. and Mexico, must combine forces to eliminate all forms of criminal activity, as human trafficking is often a symptom of larger social problems.
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