According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) (2008), 161 out of 192 countries are reported to be affected by human trafficking be it the source, transit and/or the destination country. Human trafficking is a global epidemic and no town, country or state is immune to trafficking. Due to globalization every continent is involved in human trafficking for forced labour, sexual exploitation, mail order brides, agricultural and sweatshops employment. Reliable data on the magnitude of trafficking is hard to obtain, as government, international agencies, Non-Governmental Organizations have different statistics which are not comparable (Limanowska, 2002). Different studies show different numbers on how many people are trafficked across international borders and locally. An example of this is a study of Kreston (2007), who estimates that 12.3 million people are trafficked annually across the globe and out of that number 1.2 million children are trafficked globally. According to Rahman (2011, p. 57)
Out of that 12, 3 million people traffick ed 2, 5 million are sexually exploited and out of that number 56% come from Asia and the Capital. Another 10% of that 2, 5 million originates from Latin America and the Caribbean and another 9.2% come from the Middle East and Northern Africa. The Sub-Sahara, United States and the Western Europe follow with 5.2% and 10.8% in the developed countries.
A majority of 46% of all trafficked persons are exploited sexually followed by domestic work with 27%, agricultural work 10% and sweatshops employment with 5% (Rahman, 2011). The
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US Department of State (2007) reports that the statistics of trafficking are significantly higher compared to those of Kreston (2007) and 4-27 million people are trafficked each year.
“Human trafficking”, (2007) also estimated that 50,000 people are trafficked into the United States every year and most of these people are sold into prostitution. Loubser (2009) explains that in both the U.S. and Canada, trafficked persons are in demand not only for sexual exploitation but also for sweatshops. Gbadamosi (2006) reports that the Congressional Research Service (CRS) and the United States Department estimate that 700 000 to 2 million people (the majority of them being women and children) are trafficked across international borders. Vlachová (2005) argues that trafficking has increased by almost 50% from 1995 to 2000.
According to Juabsamai (2012), estimates from the UK Home Affairs Committee range between 100 000 and 800 000 people that are trafficked into the European Union (EU) annually, and there is an estimate of 5000 people trafficked into the UK. The United Kingdom is one of the few countries that have strict laws and policies against the trafficking of humans. As Juabsamai (2012) states, the UK belongs to the Tier 0ne and that means it is a country that fully complies with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA). However, there are only 100-300 prosecutions in the whole EU for trafficking annually. Loubser (2009) adds that Europe has a divide between the richer countries-the countries of the Old European Union and the poorer, more economically and politically unstable nations. The former are the recipients of trafficked people while the latter are the source and/or transit areas.
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Loubser (2009) reports that the Asian Pacific Region has the biggest trafficking problem in terms of victims and it is estimated that 700 000 to 2 million Asians are trafficked across the national borders every year. There is easy access to enter and exit the country. The problem is perceived as large-scale of sex tourism industries in countries like Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines for that attracts people from all over the world (Loubser, 2009). Thailand is known as the country of origin, transit and destination. Loubser (2009) adds that in Taiwan and China a strong demand for women as wives and concubines is present and once married they are frequently sold into prostitution. There is a huge demand for foreign women in China. The demand for foreign women in China is worsened by the imbalance in the ratio of men to women (Loubser 2009). These statistics represent a greatly disproportionate system. While the presence of trafficking is raging and extensive legislation exists, the enforcement of the laws in an attempt to contain the issue is nearly absent.
2.6 Conclusion
Human trafficking is a global epidemic which affects every state and country. It has been around for centuries. However, it is now termed differently. This chapter looked at the history of human trafficking. Some studies argue that human trafficking started during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, while others claim that Sarah Baartman was probably the first woman to be trafficked for sexual purpose. The chapter also focuses on how cultural practices have had and still play a huge role in the increase of human trafficking. Studies proved that culture does have an effect on how people (especially men) disregard and mistreat women and children. The patriarchal system has constructed how women and girls are believed to behave and this is different from what is
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expected of men and boys. The chapter discusses the factors contributing to human trafficking and these include; poverty, unemployment, poor upbringing, HIV/AIDS prevalence and inadequate policies against human trafficking. The chapter also established that human trafficking like any other market has two sides, which are the demand and the supply side. These incorporate the factors that draw people into trafficking (demand side) and those that cause others to be victims (supply side). The following chapter focuses on the scale of human trafficking in South Africa.
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CHAPTER THREE
HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN SOUTH AFRICA
3.1 Introduction
The study explores human trafficking from the narratives told by the NGO caregivers and their role in combating trafficking of humans for sexual exploitation. In this chapter the focus is on the nature and the magnitude of human trafficking in South Africa and also it looks at why human trafficking continues to increase. Further, the chapter deals with the trends and patterns that traffickers use to transport their victims.