human traficking

1. Analyze the Significant Factors
Human Trafficking Around the World
Khaernisaa Citra AR
E13111259
International Relations Department
Faculty of Politic and Social Sciences
Hasanuddin University

2. A. INTRODUCTION
One of the most significant current discussions in all areas around the
world is the existence of immoral practices of human trade and long-term
exploitation. It might seem surprising that human trafficking exists and flourishes
in recent years in all continents around the world.161 countries are affected by
human trafficking, including 127 origin countries, where people are trafficked and
exploited in 137 destination countries into prostitution, begging, forced labour and
domestic servitude. It is difficult to imagine that such practice occurs in the
modern world. According to Trafficking Victims Protection Act human
trafficking is “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of
persons by means of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, or abuse of power of a
position of vulnerability for the purpose of exploitation” (NCADV, n.d.).
Therefore, human trafficking is a complex and serious issue with many
interconnected elements, which could be divided into three main parts: how
people are trafficked and recruited, how victims are moved, and forms of long-
term exploitation. Thepurposes of human trafficking might be horrendous, which
vary from involuntary servitude, forcing victims into prostitution and creating
pornography, to even organ harvesting. A recent US Trafficking in Persons
Report’s estimate shows that every year 600,000-800,000 children, men, women
are trafficked across international borders into commercial sexual servitude or for
labour exploitation. The factors that initiate human trafficking are linked to the
nature of this business, that is categorized as demand side of human trafficking,
and to the vulnerability of potential victims, which is considered as supply
side.The aim of this essay is to discuss and evaluate main factors that fuel human
trafficking, what make people vulnerable to be trafficked, and why this problem is
growing in all areas around the world.
B. TEORY
Now day, woman are always 'being second-class' when compared with the
opposite sex, male. Women become the underdog because of the economic
situation and demands. This then forced the women, eventually becoming a sex

3. worker. Men have better access in terms of economy. Therefore, it makes
oppression and sexual harassment against women are common in the world.
Basically the feminist movement was born out of an attempt to carry out
the demolition of the oppression of women. Feminism is the theoretical basis of
the women's liberation movement. To address the above problems, the authors try
to explain the use of Marxist feminist flow, because the focus of this stream, calls
for the liberation of women. The liberation of women because women are
economically excluded. In some countries in the world, women are almost
entirely confined indoors, deprived of democratic rights and the economy, and
eventually became a sex worker as victim of male oppression. Marxist and
socialist feminists believe that oppression of women is not the result of deliberate
actions of one individual, but rather the product of political structure, social, and
economic life of the individual place.
The Feminist Marxist radicals reject the idea that 'biology' as a basis for
differentiation. For flow Marxist feminist, women's oppression is a part of class
exploitation in the 'relations of production'. Women's issues are always placed
within the framework of a critique of capitalism.
In this flow, the inequality of wealth is the cause of prostitution. Women are very
likely to choose to "sell their bodies" because they need the money, without any
"skills that they can be marketed." Adherents believe that Marxism feminism
causes women's oppression is structural (capital accumulation, and the
international division of labor). That make women subordinate is because the base
material. Women do not give a lot of contributions, unlike the case with men. It is
also seen in some of the mass media, where due to economic problems, a woman
decides to become a sex worker / prostitute (included in the prostitution ring).
Prostitutes are victims and this woman trying to change her fate to live a happy
life as we generally do. What should be emphasized here is the role of feminist
theory is to study the problems of women who are weak in economic terms, so
that women can get out of the snare of gender.
Basically, human beings, both men and women, is the most perfect of
God's creatures, have reason and the mind to act rationally and morally. However

4. this is no longer valid when the woman has become a product or commodity that
can be traded. This phenomenon indicates the course of moral lapses.
Talking about human trafficking (human trafficking) is certainly not a new issue
for the people of Indonesia. Not only in Indonesia, cases of human trafficking
have also been rife in a number of countries in the world. according to
Act No. 21 of 2007 on the Eradication of Trafficking in Persons, has mentioned
that the so-called human trafficking is the act of recruiting, transporting,
harboring, transportation, transfer or receipt of persons by threat of violence, the
use of violence, abduction, confinement, forgery, fraud, abuse of power or of a
position of vulnerability, debt bondage or giving payments or benefits, to achieve
the consent of a person having control over another person, whether that is done
in the country, for the purpose of exploitation or cause people to be exploited.
Nevertheless, trade and prostitution cases still occur in Indonesia. This could be
due to the government's conduct is lacking and therefore by law enforcement
against perpetrators who still fairly weak.
Relation to the flow of this is when a feminist marxist subordinate position of
women, because women are economically weak, it shows that the representation
of women is always excluded. A woman who works as a commercial sex worker
(CSW) or prostitutes because of economic demands. By reason of poverty, every
child is legitimate to be traded and become a prostitute, even when women are
still babies.
C. ANALYZE
1. Demand factors
Demand side of human trafficking related to international criminals
themselves, because this business brings to traffickers enormous amount of
money due to corruption and the nature of human trade. However, despite
immoral activities those involved in human trafficking, the labour exploitation of
trafficked persons is the fastest growing criminal industry with enormous benefits
in recent years. Trafficking of human beings has become more profitable each
year. According to the global estimates of human trafficking, the trade in persons

5. is the third most profitable criminal industry after the drugs and arms trade, where
traffickers make approximately $ 32 billion annually. Consequently, human
trafficking exists due to the high profits that accompanied this business in all
steps. First of all, people are considered as a perfect commodity, because they,
unlike drugs, could be re-sold and used repeatedly by traffickers with low risk of
discovery by low enforcements. Secondly, business based on human trade does
not require a large capital investment; and a successive long-term exploitation
brings to traffickers enormous amount of money. Therefore, demand for this
business first of all comes from criminal organizations. The integral factor that
contributes to trafficking business in all countries is corruption. Weak border
controls and corruption of local officials contribute to transnational trafficking and
make enormous returns for traffickers (Aronowitz, 2001,). As a result, trafficking
in human beings has constituted transnational organized crime and involve
corruption in a greater extend Enormous profit with low risk, compared with drug
trade, make human trafficking thrive worldwide.
Precisely, demand means “a desire or preference by people for a particular
kind of person or service”. It has been suggested that demand for non-tradable
services, such as commercial sexual exploitation and in expensive labor, has
increased over the past several decades in many destination countries (ILO action
against trafficking in human beings, 2008, p.1). Traffickers that are part of
criminal transnational networks profit greatly by supplying people to fill these
demands. Several factors contribute to these illegal activities by traffickers; and
globalization would appear to have a significant impact on the growth of
transnational trade in human beings. Direct result of globalization is openness of
countries (Naim, 2006 cited in Danailova-Trainor & Belser, 2006 ), which led to
encouraging criminal networks to fulfill demand side of human trade. Due to
globalization cross-border trade has significantly increased, and boundaries of
markets expanded. Created situation of the demand of cheap, low-skilled labour
and absence of legal migration channels make ideal conditions to prosper
trafficking business (Demand side of Human Trafficking, 2006 ). The continued
expansion of unregulated market such as the sex industry might lead to more

6. requirement of exploitation of vulnerable labour (Anderson & Davidson, 2003).
Globalization make relativelyeasier to move people from origin points to
destination, where consumer demand for prostitution and cheap labour exists.
Another possibility, which may explain the growth of international sexual
trafficking, is the purchasing power of the population for certain services in the
destination countries (Danailova-Trainor & Belser, 2006 ). Danailova-Trainor and
Belser (2006) argue that these higher prices for non-tradable services make
trafficking in women more profitable in high-income countries than in poor
countries. Therefore, globalization has created powerful market demand for
cheap, low-skilled labour and, hence increases prostitution in developed countries.
2. Supply factors
On the other hand, there are supply factors that also fuel the growth of
human trafficking. These factors explain why potential victims are vulnerable to
be trafficked. It is necessary to focus on at-risk groups and define high risk
regions to providea “portrait of the human trafficking victims”, thus understand
the root causes of human trafficking. There is the assumption that migration is
one of the strongest factors that endanger people to be trafficked. All over the
world people move from their village to the city, from the city to the neighboring
country in search of a better life, new opportunities. Legal migrations for various
purposes can quickly become a trafficking case at the destination point (ibid).
This problem accompanied all cases of migration. Migrant workers are extremely
vulnerable in destination countries, in a geographical distance from their home
and without protection (Jones et al., 2007). In most cases migrants have been
deceived about the nature of proposed work; hence they have become victims of
forced labour (ILO action against trafficking in human beings, 2008, p.1). Almost
all migrants could be trafficked into a situation from which it is difficult to escape.
According to International Labour Organization’s estimates, 12.3 million migrants
became victims of forced labour worldwide, and about 2.4 million of them were
trafficked (The demand side of human trafficking, 2006. ILO action against
trafficking in human beings, 2008, ). Among identified trafficking victims

7. international migrant workers represent a large number (ibid). The table below
represents allocation of trafficked migrant workers around the world:
Figure 1: Number of trafficked migrants around the world
Regional distribution of trafficked forced labourers
Number of people in
forced labour
as a result of
trafficking
Asia&Pacific 1,360,000
IndustrialCountries 270,000
Latin America&Caribbean 250,000
Middle-East and North Africa 230,000
TransitionCountries 200,000
Sub-SaharanAfrica 130,000
World 2,440,000
(ILO action against trafficking in human beings, 2008, )
Vulnerability of migrants could be described in terms of push and pull factors,
which are interconnected and fuel many illegal activities. Push factors induce
people to leave origin countries, whereas pull factors attract people in destination
countries. The push factors, which motivate and place people into a situation of
migration, are different, than the factors that create their vulnerability to be a
target to traffickers during migration and in destination countries (Demand side of
Human Trafficking, 2006). Both push and pull factors could be considered as
supply side of human trafficking. Consequently, legal or illegal migrants are at a
high risk in destination countries, where they often do not have an immigration
document and extremely vulnerable to the traffickers’ demands and threats.
Both push factors in origin countries and pull factors in destination countries are
completely opposite to each other; thus have become driving force for migration
of thousand people. These factors linked to the economic and political situation in

8. both countries. In case of transnational trafficking poverty is the main economic
reason for immigration of people to find work (Liemt, 2004). Populations living in
extreme poverty often pursue to migrate into bigger cities in search of means of
survival and employment opportunities. Pull factors related to economic
superiority of destination countries and lure immigrants primarily from poorest
districts. Generally, poverty places people in situations where they have few
alternative opportunities. According to Belser (2005) migrant workers realizethat
they are deceived and trapped in debt bondage in destination countries, when they
have no choice and freedom. Foreigners looking for work in a destination country
are the main targets for traffickers. In recent years, all developing and
underdeveloped countries with high rates of poverty are the main source countries
of human trade and are considered to be the major epicenters of the flow of
immigrants For example, West African countries, where the general population
live on less than US$1 a day, are categorizes ‘‘sending’’ states
Another factor that induce people to migrate searching new opportunities
is demographic profile in both origin and destination countries. Overpopulation in
developing countries is one of the main push factors of immigration to developed
counties (Liemt, 2004). It is broadly accepted that in the poorest countries birth
rates remain high and the percentage of people under 18 years prevails . On the
other hand, in destination countries population more ‘older’ than in developing
countries, this can lead to shortage of younger workers for low-skilled areas.
Consequently, population pressure pushes people to migrate searching
employment opportunities in developed countries, thus fulfill the demand of
cheap labour in destination points. However, migrant workers are unaware of
problems that they could face in high-income countries. Traffickers find and
recruit potential victims in destination countries mainly by advertising and
offering good job opportunities with high salaries. Therefore, another factor that
endangers migrants is low level of education and awareness of illegal activities. It
is common practice for traffickers to use deceptive recruitment to lure foreign.
workers Identified victims of forced labour have been deceived about the nature
of proposed job, content or legality of work contract (ibid). There is the likelihood

9. that young men and women without appropriate level of education are at risk to
false promises of high wages and new opportunities in foreign countries.
Thousands of young girls are deceived by traffickers and exploited into the sex
industry, especially into Europe from Albania, Moldova and Ukraine that have
been identified as major source countries of trafficked persons (ILO action against
trafficking in human beings, 2008 )
In most cases people leave their origin points just because under some
circumstances those exacerbate their vulnerability in destination points. It has
been suggested that violence in families is one of the significant supply factors of
human trafficking. In considerable number of evidences trafficked victims were
maltreated, sexually abused in their homes.
However, in practice there are a lot of cases when traffickers transfer their
victims from origin points to other areas, where the victims are isolated and
unfamiliar with the culture and language. In case of trafficking in children poverty
is considered as the root factor contributing to the coerced movement of children
from rural areas to big.
According to the director of UNICEF poverty is a ‘‘major and ubiquitous’’
factor behind child trafficking in underdeveloped countries, which are considered
to be the main source countries for child trafficking in worldwide trade. In Central
and West African countries poverty is accepted to be ‘‘the main factor that forces
parents to send their child”.The percentage of trafficked children, which were sold
by a family member, was 67 per cent in Central and Western African countries.
Moreover, more than 94 per cent of the parents are aware of thepurposes of
traffickers, but they have no option due to the abject poverty that they are
compelled to live in.
D. Conclusion
Whereas the aim of this paper was to determine the strongest predictors of
human trafficking, complexity of this issue was revealed. This study has found
that generally human trafficking exists due to interplay of demand and supply
factors. Supply side of human trafficking related to the vulnerability of victims,

10. whereas demand for this business comes from criminal organizations themselves
and growing demand for prostitutions in developed countries. Human trafficking
has become a global and serious problem.One of the most significant findings to
emerge from this study is that in most cases trafficking is the corrupted form of
migration. Interaction with corruption makes human trafficking difficult to
determine and prevent. It was also shown that push and pull factors interact with
each other and increase the flow of migrants to destination countries, where they
are at a high risk to be victims of trafficking. As mentioned above, supply factors
push people to migrate and, consequently make them the target for traffickers.
The results of this research support the idea that poverty plays an important role in
all trafficking cases and exploitation for all purposes. It drives people to migrate
looking for a better future, and hence making them vulnerable to be subjected to
labour and sexual exploitation. People’ believes in better future life in high-
income countries remains the strongest pull factor that drive migration flows from
poorest countries to big cities. Traffickers make an enormous profit using
interaction of supply and demand sides of human trafficking. Endless demand for
the services of the victims in destination countries contributes to the growth of
organised criminal networks, which take into control migration situation
worldwide. Final important practical implication is that while these supply and
demand factors exist, the trafficking business will grow and thrive. Therefore,
unless supply side of human trafficking is not eliminated, demand for human
trafficking will remain high from criminal organized networks.

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