State by State: A Look at Legislation Against Human Trafficking

Melissa     Everyday Abolitionist, Trafficking News & Information     0

The State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report has shown how countries around the world are doing in the fight against human trafficking including the United States—but how are each of the fifty states doing? Polaris Project takes a look out how each state (plus DC) has set up legislation to fight human trafficking. And the news is pretty good. 28 states (55%) passed new laws to fight human trafficking in the past year. As of July 31, 2012, 21 states are now rated in Tier 1 (7+ points), up from 11 states in 2011. Washington received 11 points, the mostRead more

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Trafficking in Persons Report: Our Government’s Major Failure

Melissa     Ethical Fashion, Everyday Abolitionist, Trafficking News & Information     0

We’ve written about a number of encouraging and challenging parts of the State Department’s Trafficking in Persons Report about human trafficking around the world (see here, here, here, and here), but the most discouraging thing I’ve read in or about the report is this: The failure of the White House to enforce threatened sanctions against countries that the State Department has accused of doing little to control human trafficking is “appalling,” with the Obama administration much like the George W. Bush administration before it — using “every loophole possible” to issue waivers to avoid punishing the offending nations by cuttingRead more

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Voices from Haiti

Melissa     Partner Organization News     0

By all accounts, life can be quite bleak for kids in Haiti. Human trafficking is rampant, and according to Restavek Freedom Foundation 1 in 15 kids is a domestic human trafficking victim. The Trafficking in Persons Report introduces the problem this way: Haiti is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. Many of Haiti’s trafficking cases are the estimated 150,000-500,000 restaveks – the term for children in forced domestic service. The majority of children that become restaveks do so when recruiters arrange for them to live with families inRead more

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Trafficking in Persons Report: Prevention, Protection, Prosecution

Melissa     Trafficking News & Information     0

Here’s one last look at the Trafficking in Persons Report from the Department of State. We’ve looked at what others are saying about the Trafficking in Persons Report, met the victims and heroes the report highlights, and taken an in-depth look at the US. Here some of the data from the report—and what the data does and doesn’t mean. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) of 2003 added to the original law a new requirement that foreign governments provide the Department of State with data on trafficking investigations, prosecutions, convictions, and sentences in order to be considered in fullRead more

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Trafficking in Persons Report: An Honest Look at the USA

Melissa     Trafficking News & Information     0

We’ve looked at what others are saying about the Trafficking in Persons Report and we’ve seen the victims and heroes the report highlights. The report also takes a close look at each country around the world, discussing the problem and the measures being taken to stop it. You can read all the country narratives here. Below is what the report says about the US. It’s challenging to read about just how big the problem is and how many forms it takes so close to home. It’s a bit long and technical, but it’s worth the read (plus it’s comforting toRead more

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The Latest Trafficking in Persons Report

Melissa     Trafficking News & Information     4

Each year the U.S. Department of State, led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, releases a Trafficking in Persons Report that examines the status of the problem of human trafficking across the globe. The report rates countries on their efforts to eradicate trafficking. Read the report here. We’ll be posting more about it in the future. Watch Clinton introduce the report: Here’s what’s being said about the report around the web: CNN’s summary: Trafficking report spotlights slavery efforts Each country is put into one of four grades – Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier Two Watch and Tier Three. Tier 1Read more

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The 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report

Melissa     Everyday Abolitionist, Trafficking News & Information     0

The US Department of State has issued the 2011 Trafficking in Person’s Report. We talked about the report some last year. Here’s the report’s purpose, in a nutshell. The Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report is the U.S. Government’s principal diplomatic tool to engage foreign governments on human trafficking. It is also the world’s most comprehensive resource of governmental anti-human trafficking efforts and reflects the U.S. Government’s commitment to global leadership on this key human rights and law enforcement issue. It represents an updated, global look at the nature and scope of trafficking in persons and the broad range of governmentRead more