GUARD Against Trafficking | About Human Trafficking

What is Human Trafficking?

The illegal trade or exploitation of people through force, fraud, or coercion for the purposes of various forms of exploitation. This can include forced labor, sexual exploitation, involuntary servitude, and other forms of abuse. Victims of human trafficking are often manipulated or deceived into exploitative situations, and may be trafficked across borders or within their own countries. Trafficking typically involves three main components: the act (what is done), the means (how it is done), and the purpose (why it is done, such as exploitation).

Trafficking vs. Smuggling

Human trafficking involves the exploitation of individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for purposes such as forced labor or sexual exploitation. It is a crime against the person, where the victim is controlled and abused. In contrast, human smuggling involves the illegal transportation of individuals across borders with their consent, typically for immigration purposes. While smuggling is a crime against immigration laws, trafficking is a crime against human rights, and in some cases, smuggled individuals may become victims of trafficking.

Types of Trafficking

Domestic Servitude

A form of labor trafficking where victims, often women from abroad, are exploited in private homes as nannies, housekeepers, or caregivers. They are subjected to physical and emotional abuse, forced to work without pay, and have their movement restricted, with no days off. Traffickers, sometimes diplomats or wealthy families, use tactics like confiscating passports and emotional manipulation to maintain control over their victims, who remain “invisible” due to the private nature of the abuse.

Organ Trafficking

The illegal trade of human organs, typically kidneys, involving coercion, deception, or exploitation. Victims are often lured with false promises of medical treatment or financial compensation, only for their organs to be taken without consent. This crime thrives in regions with weak law enforcement or corrupt medical systems, where vulnerable populations, such as refugees or the poor, are targeted. The trafficked organs are sold to individuals in need of transplants, often bypassing legal and ethical medical procedures.

Forced Criminality

The exploitation of individuals who are coerced, manipulated, or threatened into committing illegal activities against their will. Victims are often subjected to violence or psychological abuse, making it difficult for them to escape or seek help. Common forms of forced criminality include being forced to work as drug couriers, pickpockets, or in illegal businesses. These crimes are committed under duress, and the victims are often treated as criminals themselves, despite being coerced into the acts.

Illegal Adoption

A form of child trafficking in which children are unlawfully taken, bought, or transferred through fraudulent or coercive means for the purpose of adoption. This practice often involves the falsification of documents, deception of birth parents, or outright abduction, with the child being placed into adoptive homes without proper legal consent or oversight. It is driven by the demand for children and profits from illegal adoption networks, sometimes involving corrupt officials or agencies. This form of trafficking violates the rights of the child and undermines legitimate adoption processes, often leaving children without accurate identity records or legal protection.

Sex Trafficking

The illegal trade and exploitation of individuals through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of commercial sexual exploitation. Victims are often manipulated, threatened, or physically abused to engage in prostitution, pornography, or other forms of sex work against their will. This crime targets vulnerable populations, including women, children, and marginalized groups, and frequently involves deception or false promises.

Labor Trafficking

Involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to exploit individuals for labor or services against their will. Victims are often subjected to harsh working conditions, long hours, and little or no pay, and may be confined, isolated, or threatened with violence if they attempt to escape. This form of trafficking commonly affects vulnerable populations, such as migrant workers, the poor, or those with limited legal protections.

Child Trafficking

The recruitment, transportation, transfer, or harboring of children for the purpose of exploitation. Unlike adults, children cannot legally consent, making any form of exploitation—such as forced labor, sexual exploitation, child soldiering, or illegal adoption—considered trafficking, regardless of the means used. Traffickers often target vulnerable children through deception, coercion, or abduction, exploiting poverty, conflict, or lack of protection.