What is human trafficking ?

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HUMAN TRAFFICKING

IT IS THE ILLEGAL TRADE OF HUMAN BEINGS, USING ANY MEANS OF FORCE, FRAUD OR COERCION WITH THE PURPOSE OF THEIR FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION.

Men, women and, unfortunately, children are the “products” in a worldwide criminal industry. They are being bought and sold into forced work and prostitution. This is the new face of slavery. And it happens within and outside our borders – in the suburbs and in the city centers - in hotels, restaurants, farms or in the next-door apartment. Human trafficking is the second largest criminal activity, after drug trafficking, with annual profits around 25 billion euros worldwide.

THE VICTIMS

People that find themselves trapped in the world of slavery, do not belong in a special category, nor have a specific profile. They are people from every nationality, tribe or social origin – with higher or lower educational level- adults or children- legally or illegally staying in the country. But they all have one thing in common; they are in an extremely vulnerable situation.

Political instability because of war // extreme poverty // lack of educational opportunities // domestic violence or neglection

Their environment cannot provide them with a hope for the future, or a possibility for a better life. These are some factors that lead the victims to search for “a better life”.

THIS DESIRE IS WHAT THE TRAFFICKERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF, WHEN THEY FIND SOMEONE IN THE VERGE OF DESPAIR.

THE TRAFFICKERS

Human traffickers are taking different roles in the trading process; some of them recruit the victims, others transport them, others take care of their accommodation, and others receive and inspect them.
But all of them get paid for their role.
And all of them are criminals according to the Law.
These roles are given to both men and women. And especially during the first interaction with the victim, women traffickers tend to be more skillful in earning the victim’s trust.
The human trafficking industry is based on a triple foundation: First comes deception.
The trafficker first approaches the person, by showing an attitude of interest and trust, and then, offers promises and future opportunities and possibilities for a new start; “a better life”.
When the victims realize that the hope they were given is fake, that every promise for “a good salary”, “a good job” “a good marriage” is a lie, it is usually too late.

Then the victims stand in front of the second foundation of the trafficking industry: violence.
Human traders are willing to use any kind of violence in order to keep their victims under control and ensure their silence.

Physical violence, torture, beatings, enclosure, sleep and food deprivation.
Psychological violence, threats to victim’s family, promises for freedom if they pay back a huge “fake” debt to the traders.
If they are in a foreign land, they take away travel and ID documents of the victims, so they can not walk away and talk to the police.
“Happy Trafficking”: an advanced form of human trafficking, with less legal consequences, less risk and less obvious signs on the victims. One of the favorite methods of the traffickers is to avoid hard physical violence, and to provide them with some kind of freedom, some rewards and the illusion that this way of life is their own choice.

WHY DOES HUMAN TRAFFICKING STILL EXIST IN OUR DAY AND AGE?

Human trafficking is not only a criminal industry, but also a worldwide market. Αs every successful company, it survives as long as there is a DEMAND for the product they offer. Poverty feeds modern-day slavery, but it is the increasingly high demand that keeps it going.
Which leads to the third foundation of human trafficking: profit.

IF SLAVERY ISN’T WRONG, THEN NOTHING IS WRONG.

The reality of trafficking is so repulsive, that leads us instinctively to deny its existence. Hope Spot believes that it is our responsibility to open our eyes, to listen, to talk about this phenomenon and take action.
No one has the right to buy, sell, abuse and exploit another human being, in any country of the world.

 

ABOUT HOPESPOT

We are a social movement aiming to support victims of human trafficking and domestic violence, operating in Greece.

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