First, they gain your trust.
Then, they promise you
a better life somewhere else.
Suddenly,
you’re in a foreign country
and you don’t speak the language.
When they take away your passport
and every penny you earn,
you’re their captive.
Human trafficking includes the recruitment,
harboring, and controlling of the movement
of a person by using force,
coercion and deception,
with the intent to exploit them
for labor or sexual services.
According to the International
Labour Organization, in 2016,
over 40 million people
were victims of human trafficking.
And it affects victims of various genders,
ages and nationalities.
Almost anyone could fall into the trap
of a human trafficker.
Every trafficking case is different,
and you could be trafficked
without knowing it.
You might be
in a human trafficking situation
if someone promised you a better life
or a relationship,
then took you to work in another country.
Also, traffickers might not pay you,
or pay very little
but force you to work many hours.
Or you could be forced into sexual activities.
Joy was taken to the UK
when she was 12 years old,
supposedly to help her aunt
and go to school.
But instead, she was put to work
for long hours in the house.
Three years later,
the aunt took Joy to work
for a friend of hers.
But the woman slapped Joy
every time she did something wrong,
and the husband abused her.
Joy eventually found support
through a charity and left the house.
Malaika Oringo survived human trafficking.
Her story began at age 15,
in Kampala, Uganda.
After her mother died,
she was looking for relatives to support her.
A man dressed as an aid worker
approached her.
He was a white European.
After earning her trust,
he promised to help her go to school.
But when they arrived in Luxembourg,
he handed her over to people
who took her to Amsterdam.
She was exploited for a year,
until she became ill.
But instead of seeking
medical attention for Malaika,
the traffickers dumped her by a road.
Fortunately, she was found
and taken to a safe house for minors.
Malaika believes that giving
survivors a voice
and the chance to help form policies
is the way to eradicate human trafficking.
So she founded Footprint to Freedom,
a survivor-led organization
that focuses on leading victims
out of exploitation.
Human trafficking takes many forms,
and sex trafficking is only one of them.
Another is forced labor.
These illegal activities are often called
modern slavery,
as they involve exploitation.
There are many myths about the issue,
and getting rid of misconceptions
could help you identify
a dangerous situation.
You might believe that human trafficking
only happens in low
and lower-middle-income countries.
But the truth is
that it exists in every country,
including wealthy ones.
And it can happen anywhere,
from big cities to suburbs or rural areas,
even in your community.
Unfortunately,
human trafficking is a lucrative business.
The United Nations estimates that
this criminal activity
brings its perpetrators about
$32 billion per year.
But it might be possible to limit it
by driving down the demand.
You could start by trying to be a voice
for the victims of trafficking.
Spread the word.
Talk to your family,
friends and neighbors,
and inform them about this global issue.
You can also donate and support
organizations that help victims
of human trafficking.
Contrary to what you’ve seen in movies,
all human trafficking victims
are not kept behind locked doors,
in basements or chained.
Many of them are in plain view.
But since many people are not aware of,
or don't understand
the signs of human trafficking,
you could have interacted
with a victim without realizing it.
But how do human traffickers
control and manipulate their victims?
Their tactics including
emotionally abusing their victims,
threatening them,
using violence,
and keeping their victims isolated.
And traffickers often take control
of their victims' identification documents
and money.
You may have seen signs
of human trafficking
if you realize someone
cannot access their travel or ID documents,
or they disappear without reason.
You can continue to educate yourself
about human trafficking
and look for signs
that someone in your community
is a victim of it.
There are some explicit signs
to look out for.
Be aware of tattooing
or branding symbols,
especially names, on the person.
If you find out the person
was reported as missing,
that is a red-flag,
especially if the person is secretive
about their activities
and never shares
anything about their family
or partner
even though they have told you
they are in a relationship.
Even after surviving this horrible situation,
you'll likely be traumatized
by the experience for years to come.
You may find it hard to trust people.
Or you might find yourself
looking over your shoulder in paranoia.
But wait,
that hooded man
does seem like he's been following you
for a while now.
Maybe you're not paranoid after all.
But how can you be sure?
Find out here
on How to Survive.