Human Trafficking and Immigration, Essay Example

After weapon trafficking and drug trafficking, human trafficking is considered one of the biggest lucrative illegal businesses throughout the world.  Terrorist and smuggling operations receive profit of over $10 billion a year, and the problem of human trafficking is increasing rapidly as organizations and terrorist cells are sprouting up around the world. Human trafficking has been a problem that is growing, in which impacts every country. The human trafficking profit received is used to help fund terrorist organizations, as well as contributes to the growing immigration problem. Immigration has come to be an emotive topic among the citizens of the world. Immigration has been going on since the beginning of civilization, but lately it has been marred with the controversy surrounding questions of the future, social and economic factors, personal objections, and political propaganda. What is not discussed enough however is how illegal immigration, which is connected with the horrors of human trafficking, used in smuggling sex slaves, families, and children across borders. Places such as Saudi Arabia, have been found to be hotbed for human trafficking, and illegal immigration largely towards women and children. Human trafficking and illegal immigration are a pressing global issue, which is not receiving the international attention needed to put a stop to this growing epidemic.

Legal immigration has long been a source for migrants that choose to cross borders legally to make a better life for themselves. They choose to go through the correct legal channels in obtaining visas, and other documents that are necessary in gaining the status of legal immigrants. However, with the growing problem of illegal immigration, it has placed a greater strained, not only on people’s attitudes towards immigration, but also on laws, and public policy on enforcing legislation to prevent immigration. With stricter policies placed on immigration, people have been going through different and dangerous means of crossing the border. After the September 11 attacks to the United States, immigration policy in not only the United States but around the world shifted to placing tighter controls on immigrants seeking visas or asylum, as well on illegal immigration. Even Britain has tightened its borders with replacing the Immigration and Nationally Directorate (IND) with the UK Borders Agency (UKBA). (Sommerville, Sriskandarah, and Latoree 1) Yet even with the new policies and legislation for illegal immigration, it has not curbed the surge in illegal immigrants, or legal immigrants trying to cross over into the borders. This has created the opportunity for criminal organizations to take advantage of individuals, largely women and children that want to immigrant to another country for safe haven, or better opportunities.

Human trafficking is a serious issue, “Around the world, millions of men, women, and children are bought, sold, beaten, and abused, locked in compelled service and hidden in darkness.” (Williams1) With the passage of the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 by President Bush, it was meant to be effective in putting a stop to human trafficking. However, it has unintentionally paved the way for the vast surge of unaccompanied minors across the United States border. Many of the minors that crossed not only did so illegally, but also with the help of coyotes or organized gangs that smuggled them across in exchange for valuables or money. The problem of immigration is not central to Great Britain or the United States, but also a major issue in Saudi Arabia. Although many would not suspect that foreigners would want to immigrant to a Muslim country that is largely stricter compared to western countries, there is increase job opportunities in the oil and tech industries. The majority number of immigrants that migrate to Saudi Arabia, leave from countries in the northern parts of Africa and parts of Asia. They leaves these countries to try to escape poverty, or to look for better job opportunities that would help them better support their families.

The first boom in immigrants to Saudi Arabia began in the 1970s by the over 6500 Turkish, as they were soon able to established furniture stores, restaurants, and hair salons throughout the country. Then the next surge of immigrants were Filipinos during the 70s also that sought to fill over 6000 medical positions, in which they became prominent in the engineer industry. More south Asians immigrants began to migrant into Saudi Arabia to take advantage of the booming oil industry. However, despite the increase in projects during the 80s, they are now considered the portion of immigrants that have shifted the economy to compensate foreign workers. (Pakkiasamy 2) With over 1 million immigrants from countries including Africa, India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Yemen, and Pakistan, and 7 million Filipinos, Saudi Arabia has become a haven for immigrants looking for better opportunities.

The overlooked problem however, is the underbelly of criminal activity that gives way to human trafficking and illegal immigration. Saudi Arabia’s entrance procedures and immigration policy is the root of their illegal immigration policy. The population of illegal immigrants have increased to well over two million, in which much has taken much of the Saudi Arabian economy. The businesses continue to profit from illegal immigration, as they are able to hire them without paying them, and take their visas, forcing them into indentured servitude.  The surge in available job opportunities, have brought many illegal immigrants to work in forced labor as migrant laborers, beggars, or maids. There are many forms to human trafficking, in which can be considered forced abductions, where many are forced into working, or being held during religious Meccas to the country, in which they can be killed, or sexually abused. While there has been calls to correct this problem, the issues grows much deeper. It was not until 1962 that Saudi Arabia abolished slavery, as the UN cited, “In 1966, the UN-affiliated Anti- Slavery Society reported that they were several thousand slaves in the Kingdom that were being resettled, and whose owners were being financially compensated.” (Evans 1). Beguiling abduction is either the point at which they are deceived by a guarantee of an occupation, or an alternate guaranteeing reason where they are caught after entering the nation. Human trafficking accumulates numerous financial open doors that store terrible crimes that incorporate, drug smuggling, racketeering, terrorism, or other criminal activities.

Trafficking of Human Beings or Human Trafficking is viewed as a most exceedingly awful crime against humanity that characterizes the unlawful exchanging of humans, especially youngsters for business closes. This is attached in solely to encourage the sexual abuse and sexual constrained work of women that range from youngsters at four years old to the age of 26. Casualties of human trafficking are duped, pressured, or constrained into the illicit exchange, and UN appraises that in excess of 27 million individuals as everywhere as possible are subjugated in this crime. “Human trafficking is a multi-dimensional danger, denying individuals of their human rights and flexibilities, gambling worldwide wellbeing, advancing social breakdown, hindering the advancement by denying nations of their human capital, and helping fuel the development of composed crime.” (United Nations 5) According to the annual list of government responses within 150 countries by the US Department of State, it shows a large fundamental amount of victims that are forced into human trafficking. The concept of the list ranges from Tier 1 to Tier 3, in which Tier 2 are countries that have been placed on the watch list for those that do not comply with the minimum standards. The Tier 3 countries, such as Saudi Arabia, have made no effort in meeting these standards, and have not made a change to legislation for human trafficking since 2005. (U.S Department of State 7) Considered a destination country for men and women that are forced into prostitution and labor. The plight of children and women that are majority exploited for labor and sex in Saudi Arabia, the government has been heavily criticized for being lenient on making or preventing the actions of human trafficking. Within the past 150 years, the history of slave trade have been prominent in the UAE. The perpetuated problem surrounds the amount of women and men from countries such as Sudan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and others that travel as domestic servants and low-skilled laborers. They usually end up facing in addition involuntary servitude, to nonpayment or low pay, in which businesses withhold passports and visas using threats as coercions, physical and sexual abuse, in which many were forcibly trafficked into the country.

Human Trafficking in Saudi Arabia is expanding issue that is seen by the enslavement of children beggars and women all through the country. This is typically encouraged by criminal packs that grabbed and forced women into these sorts of work. Saudi studies directed in 2011 reported that beggars make up 87% of foreigners. Large portions of them are Yemenis between the ages from 16 and 25. Laborers that are forced to work are seldom reported, and most are frequently captured and extradited. It is evaluated that in excess of 24,000 trafficked kids are included in begging and street selling within the country. Additionally, Saudi Arabia expelled in excess of 10,000 youngsters to Yemen. As indicated by reports, “Saudi Arabia is considered predominantly an end nation. Criminal groups who originate from everywhere throughout the world abduct youngsters to exploit them as beggars,, specifically, who are generally from  Chad, Sudan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Yemen, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, and Chad. (Human Trafficking 3)  Reportedly there are in excess of 6 million outside laborers inside Saudi Arabia, and a lot of people are constrained in the process of childbirth where they work for extended periods, get default, are denied of sustenance, subjected to sexual or physical misuse, debilitating, and limitations on development. Beggars and those constrained in the process of childbirth have climbed in the last few years, even as those constrained into sex work have diminished. Reinforced work which is the most well-known is the long haul relations between the executive and the worker (migrant, vagrant, and so on.) that is implanted subjugated by the financial society. Reinforced work or obligation servitude is constrained servitude that places strict demands on the working condition. These connections typically include adults and children, men, and women, which go around the work laws. Saudi Arabia is home to the religious locales that are a goal sanctuary for a great many Muslim amid the seasons of hajj and umrah. Human traffickers have the capacity exploit these magnanimous properties from religious seasons, where beggar children can make up to $250 or more. Traffickers likewise utilized these religious seasons to bring their families to Saudi Arabia, when they would overall not make a difference.

The reasons why such a variety of exploited people fall flat trap to trafficking is a result of the measure of ostracizes in the nation that are assuming control a hefty portion of the occupations, leaving little business choices for local people. As per distributed reports, “Around 60% of the Saudi workforce are remote nationals, and in excess of 90% of laborers in the private division are non-Saudis. (Evans 1) The state of the legislature is one-sided for the elites that utilize remote laborers in their organizations. The legislature assumes a basic part in the continuation of human trafficking done and finished with the nation. For quite a long time, especially under the standard of King Fahd Bin Abdul-Aziz, America and in addition UN and Human Rights associations have denounced the Royal Saudi Family, of being an immediate buyer, as well as deliberately ignoring to the terribleness that incorporates remote abductions utilized as a part of slave work. This has been tricky in attempting to counteract and think of arrangements to prevent the intolerable demonstrations from proceeding.

The culprits of the human trafficking include a few criminal organizations that work geologically all through the nation and other European nations, and in addition Russia, and in Asian nations. There are obviously a finishes to financial implies that numerous criminal organizations delightfully tune in issue on the off chance that it intends to stretch their riches. In nations, for example, Russia, and different parts of Europe, a few criminal gatherings member in exchanging humans, in much as they exchange merchandise and medications. (Evans 1. There is a supply and request that is helped by sorted out organizations, national association, worldwide criminal mafias, and smaller autonomous operations. These crime systems work in nations far and wide including major worldwide center points, and pervasive western social orders. There is a level of well-known information by state dignitaries inside nations, for example, in the West, that there is impedance of high positioning powers that do not sufficiently address the issue. The multiplication of elites that have helped the economy in Saudi Arabia is hindering in overlooking the issue. Where victimized people are generally dismissed or overlooked, much appreciated to some degree to extort, oil legislative issues, and gift to proceed with their operations. At the point when beggars are captured there is a retroactive position taken. “The capture of beggars is a composed exertion with a few government offices including the police, visa office, Mujahideen groups, movement division, team, field energy and criminal examination.” (Al-Hamid 1) There have been numerous cases in which exploited people are captured for being a runaway or an illicit worker on the off chance that they attempt to report their misuse.

The United States has largely been at the forefront, nationally and internationally in dealing with illegal immigration and its connection with human trafficking. The UN has also created Trafficking Protocol and their Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. The protocol adopted by the General Assembly is to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, that was globally the first legally binding precedent used to help end human trafficking. The UAE has also recently adopted their official Anti-Trafficking Law in 2009, which was to protect immigrants that were pouring into the country. Even while effort has been slow in Saudi Arabia, there have been recent legislations in which they try to curb human trafficking in their country, and protect illegal immigrants from abuse from businesses and organized crimes that smuggle them in.

It is clear however, that the government alone in Saudi Arabia cannot effectively stop illegal immigration or the problems with human trafficking as it influences all forms of the private sector. Human trafficking will not decline unless there is more effort made by the national and international bodies. As effort needs to go into constructing policies that manage migration, specifically through the facilitation of the removal of discouraging restrictions on the movement of people around the world. The progress has been slow due to the unpopularity of the policies that focus on supporting immigration, in which surrounds the issues of border control and national security. The best plan in creating a solution is to focus on the countries where the number of illegal immigration and human trafficking is the highest. In doing so, legislators are able to develop effective plans that would criminalize human trafficking and related criminal activities such as underage prostitution, drug smuggling, forced labor, and prostitution rings. While there have been strives in the international community, there needs to be an effective global action that will address the human trafficking problem around the world.

Works Cited

“2013 Trafficking in Person Report.” U.S. Department of State.2013. Web. 14 December 2014. http://photos.state.gov/libraries/saudi-arabia/231771/public/2013%20TIP%20Report%20SAUDI%20ARABIA%20_3_.pdf

Al-Hamid, Nadim. “11, 000 Beggars Arrested in Jeddah Last Year.” Arab News. 2013. Web. 14 December 2014. http://www.arabnews.com/news/483816

Evans, Brian. “The Plight of Foreign Workers in Saudi Arabia.”GeoCities. 2005. Web. 14 December 2014. http://web.archive.org/web/20050415100851/http:/www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Parliament/3251/spring99/saudi.html

“Human Trafficking Victims.” U.S Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. 2013. Web. 14 December 2014. http://www.refugees.org/our-work/immigrant-children/human-trafficking-victims-1.html

Pakkiasamy. Divya.” Saudi Arabia’s Plan for Changing Its Workforce.” Migration Information Source.2004. Web. 14 December 2014. http://www.migrationinformation.org/USfocus/display.cfm?ID=264

Sommerville, Will, Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah, Maria Latorre. “United Kingdom: A Reluctant Country of Immigration.” Migration Information Source.2009. Web. 14 December 2014. http://www.migrationinformation.org/feature/display.cfm?ID=736

“The World Factbook.” CIA. 2013. Web. 14 December 2014. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2196.html

Williams, Tiffany. “Human Trafficking and Immigration: The Ties That Bind.” Institute for Policy Studies. 10 January 2013. Web. 14 December 2014. http://www.ips-dc.org/human_trafficking_and_immigration_the_ties_that_bind/

“United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols Thereto.” United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes. 2013. Web. 14 December 2014. http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/treaties/CTOC/