Labor trafficking is a form of human trafficking that is also known as modern-day slavery. Men, women, and children of all ages are lured to work in the United States, where the perpetrator paints a pretty picture of a better life with a great paying job. However, it is all a scheme that hundreds of thousands fall for each year.
Between January 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008, there were a total of 1, 229 alleged incidents of human trafficking reported to the Bureau of Justice Human Trafficking Task Force. Labor trafficking accounted for 12% of those reported incidents (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2009). Keep in mind that the number of labor trafficking would be higher if there were more incidents reported. However, many of them are lied to and threatened with deportation if they were to tell anyone about their situation.
In Kansas City, twelve people were accused of labor racketeering, forced labor trafficking and immigration violations. “The defendants used false information to obtain fake work visas for the foreign workers, who were then threatened with deportation while living in substandard apartments and working for inadequate pay (Twelve Charged, 2009).” In addition to low income, the illegal immigrants are required to pay a very expensive rent, which ensures that they will not have enough to buy a plane ticket home or even live comfortably in their barely furnished apartment. They also have to pay for their transportation to and from work as well as work uniform fees.This is just one example of human trafficking. Victims are deceived and brought into a whole new world with nothing. Their living conditions are awful and they live each day with fear that their families or themselves will be killed if they do not comply. They are also threatened with deportation which may mean trouble with the law because they went to America illegally. They are scared and trapped. What little money do they have left after paying for rent and the necessities to live? They are left with nothing –not even enough to save.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20090527/us-human-trafficking/
http://ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/cshti08.htm http://www.adb.org/media/Articles/2007/12016-asian-human-trafficking/
