NCJ Number
222866
Date Published
May 2007
Length
37 pages
Annotation
This research report focuses on the United States’ efforts to find and protect trafficked persons and presents recommendations to policymakers on how to prevent and respond to trafficking in refugee populations.
Abstract
While the United States has made great efforts to address trafficking, particularly related to law enforcement, to date it has failed to take adequate steps to ensure the protection of trafficked persons. It has addressed trafficking as a law enforcement issue rather than as a human rights issue. The consequences of this approach are critical: few trafficked persons are willing to take the risks of reporting to law enforcement, protections are only offered to witnesses rather than all trafficked persons, identified trafficked persons are deported, and law enforcement manipulates the system to secure cooperation by withholding benefits from potential witnesses. Based on the research and findings, the Women’s Commission made the following recommendations: (1) improve data collection to capture a more accurate and representative estimate of the number of trafficked persons in the United States; (2) address all forms of trafficking; (3) continue public awareness efforts at all levels; (4) amend continued presence; (5) amend certification; (6) amend the T Visa; (7) create eligibility for benefits for all trafficked persons and eliminate the eligibility requirement that law enforcement determines whether a person is a “victim of trafficking"; (8) provide benefits first, law enforcement cooperation second, and voluntarily; (9) provide unrestricted funding to service providers; (10) amend the system of protections for trafficked children; and (11) adopt and incorporate a rights-based approach to human trafficking to balance the current law enforcement approach. Since the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, the United States Government has poured billions of dollars into prevention efforts overseas and prosecution and protection efforts at home, offering a model to other countries. This report focuses on the United States’ efforts to protect trafficked persons found in the United States and recommendations to improve the United State’ response in the prevention of trafficking.