Running head: PROJECT PROPOSAL ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING 1 PROJECT PROPOSAL ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING 2 The Effectiveness of Anti-Human Trafficking Laws Amber Miles Savannah State University Project Proposal: The Effectiveness of Anti-Human Trafficking Laws Project Background Human trafficking (HT) is considered and criminalized by the United Nations as a form of modern slavery. It is also considered to be a major human rights challenge for authorities both in the developed and developing economies. The crime manifests in the form of sex trafficking and labor trafficking. Early perceptions of human trafficking tended to view it as entailing sexual exploitation of women and girls. Today, the United States categorizes human trafficking as encompassing wide arrays of crimes and affecting boys and men as well (Federal Anti-Trafficking Laws, 2019). The federal government recognizes that human trafficking in the United States predominantly takes the form of domestic servitude, forced labor in construction industries, brides trafficking, and coerced working in agricultural plantations. The United Nations defines trafficking in persons as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation” (Zimmerman & Kiss, 2017). While a lot of human trafficking takes place within the country, a recent trend in international trafficking has created cartels across the world that facilitate illegal movement of people mainly from poor, low-income countries to developed economies (Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, 2014). Countries such as the Netherlands, Romania, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone have been cited internationally as major origin and transit countries for human trafficking. The impact of HT on individuals and economies cannot be understated. International human trafficking (IHT) is known to encompass drug trafficking. Trafficked persons are forced under threat to their lives to traffic narcotics across international borders. The risk posed to victims is immense since it not only impairs their mental capacity but also exposes them to punitive sentences if caught trafficking drugs on behalf of their controlling masters. Besides cognitive impairment and potential memory loss, victims of HT are exposed to despicable physical abuse including rape, sexual slavery, servitude, and aggravated assault resulting in bodily harm. In other instances, victims are abused and killed. Analysis by the U.S State Department of recent cases of HT indicate that a significant number of victims are children who are duped under the pretext of finding a better life abroad or in large urban centers where they cannot be easily identified. Des.

1. Running head: PROJECT PROPOSAL ON HUMAN
TRAFFICKING 1
PROJECT PROPOSAL ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING 2
The Effectiveness of Anti-Human Trafficking Laws
Amber Miles
Savannah State University
Project Proposal: The Effectiveness of Anti-Human Trafficking
Laws
Project Background
Human trafficking (HT) is considered and criminalized by the
United Nations as a form of modern slavery. It is also
considered to be a major human rights challenge for authorities
both in the developed and developing economies. The crime
manifests in the form of sex trafficking and labor trafficking.
Early perceptions of human trafficking tended to view it as
entailing sexual exploitation of women and girls. Today, the
United States categorizes human trafficking as encompassing
wide arrays of crimes and affecting boys and men as well
(Federal Anti-Trafficking Laws, 2019). The federal government
recognizes that human trafficking in the United States
predominantly takes the form of domestic servitude, forced
labor in construction industries, brides trafficking, and coerced
working in agricultural plantations.
The United Nations defines trafficking in persons as “the
recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of

2. persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of
coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of
power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or
receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a
person having control over another person, for the purpose of
exploitation” (Zimmerman & Kiss, 2017). While a lot of human
trafficking takes place within the country, a recent trend in
international trafficking has created cartels across the world
that facilitate illegal movement of people mainly from poor,
low-income countries to developed economies (Global Report
on Trafficking in Persons, 2014). Countries such as the
Netherlands, Romania, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone have been
cited internationally as major origin and transit countries for
human trafficking.
The impact of HT on individuals and economies cannot be
understated. International human trafficking (IHT) is known to
encompass drug trafficking. Trafficked persons are forced under
threat to their lives to traffic narcotics across international
borders. The risk posed to victims is immense since it not only
impairs their mental capacity but also exposes them to punitive
sentences if caught trafficking drugs on behalf of their
controlling masters. Besides cognitive impairment and potential
memory loss, victims of HT are exposed to despicable physical
abuse including rape, sexual slavery, servitude, and aggravated
assault resulting in bodily harm. In other instances, victims are
abused and killed. Analysis by the U.S State Department of
recent cases of HT indicate that a significant number of victims
are children who are duped under the pretext of finding a better
life abroad or in large urban centers where they cannot be easily
identified.
Despite concerted efforts by the international community, HT
continues unabated. The U.N reports that HT is one of the most
lucrative crimes in modern times only second to drug
trafficking. The human rights organization assessment of IHT
shows that the criminal industry earns approximately $150
billion annually to traffickers (Human Trafficking by the

3. Numbers, 2017). The United States has instituted stringent laws
to curb the vice while working with international partners to
strengthen the legal framework to combat HT.
This capstone research project seeks to evaluate gaps in the
human trafficking legislation within the United States that may
undermine the fight against HT. The research question is: how
do gaps in legislation undermine the fight against human
trafficking in the United States? Furthermore, the researcher
aims to evaluate how different anti-human trafficking laws
between countries could contribute to the escalating cases of HT
in the United States and the developed economies. First, the
researcher will examine the current state of anti-human
trafficking laws in the United States. Secondly, it will examine
the legal steps taken by the international community in the fight
against HT. Thirdly, the researcher will document ways in
which international policy developers can enhance efforts
toward fighting IHT by integrating international legislation
agenda and policy frameworks aimed at combating IHT.
Project Background
The investigative and prosecutorial powers on human
trafficking in the United States fall primarily on three federal
government agencies. The Department of State (DOS), the
Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) are charged with fighting human trafficking and
dismantling trafficking cartels not just within the country but
also internationally in collaboration with investigative agencies
in other countries (Federal Anti-Trafficking Laws, 2019). The
agencies are also charged with supporting victims of human
trafficking by integrating assistant experts at all levels of
investigations and eventual prosecutions. The DOJ works in
collaboration with the Department of Labor and the DHS to
develop complex training programs aimed at streamlining
coordination of multi-agency government efforts in combating
human trafficking. Government agencies work under the Anti-
Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam) Initiative.
The United has instituted a range of laws aimed at combating

4. human trafficking. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act
(TVPA) of 2000 was designed to comprehensively address all
forms of trafficking of persons (Federal Anti-Trafficking Laws,
2019). Besides the preventative and protection elements of the
law, the TVPA also strengthens prosecution of perpetrators of
human trafficking. In 2013, the act was reauthorized under the
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA).
The law recognizes severe forms of human trafficking as
encompassing labor trafficking and sex trafficking.
The 22 USC § 7102 defines sex trafficking as recruitment,
transportation, and soliciting of persons for commercial sex
through coercive or fraudulent (Federal Anti-Trafficking Laws,
2019). It also entails any form of sexual exploitation of a person
aged below 18 years. On the other hand, the 22 USC § 7102
refers to labor trafficking as the recruitment, transportation, and
obtaining persons through fraud or coercion with the intention
of subjecting them to servitude or debt bondage. Zimmerman
and Kiss (2017) note that most countries view HT as a national
security issue. The immediate strategies adopted to respond to
such categorization have been to enact national laws that
criminalize illegal immigrants. Such strategies have yielded
little benefits toward fighting IHT.
The international nature of HT requires broad strategies that
involve collaboration between security agencies investigating
suspected cases of the vice. Rebecca Harris et al. (2017) argue
that international efforts should be broad based targeting
sources of human trafficking. The United Nations statistics
suggest that a majority of victims of human trafficking within
the Netherlands originates from East Asia, Africa, and Europe.
In particular, Bulgaria, Nigeria, China, the Philippines,
Hungary, and Romania are considered to be home to elaborate
international syndicate dealing in trafficking in persons
(Trafficking in Persons Report, 2018a). In the United States,
victims are transported from across the world but many come
from the Philippines and South American countries. The focus
of the international community should encompass understanding

5. the pathways to HT especially in the country of origin, the
common means of contact between traffickers and their victims.
Policy makers should only develop a comprehensive response
strategy once this relationship is understood (Global Report on
Trafficking in Persons, 2014). The legal framework adopted by
the international community in the fight against HT should
communicate a strong message of zero tolerance toward the
vice. The seriousness of the offense should be seen in the
criminal codes of punishment upon conviction of the offender.
Given the vulnerability of the victims, laws must also recognize
the helplessness of the victims. Zimmerman and Kiss (2017)
notes that some of the existing anti-laws in many countries
inherently punish victims while traffickers escape. Poorly
developed laws undermine the delivery of justice to victims and
their families. Rebecca Harris et al. (2017) argue that victims of
HT should not be punished for being victims of a syndicate they
understand very little about. Such laws only favor traffickers
while disadvantaging the victims. There is a large body of
published articles and books that will be useful in this research
process.
The researcher will utilize official government records and
published reports to gather sufficient evidence to support the
research process. Official reports released by the U.S State
Department and other agencies such as the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Justice (DOJ)
will be crucial to this study. Other valuable sources will
include reports from the U.N agencies on human trafficking and
other international crimes. In particular, reports from the United
Nations Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking and the
United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized
Crime will be of immense help. Yet these are the most
authoritative voices on HT and provide an objective analysis of
crime without having to worry about country political
implications or selfish interests (Lamber & Lambert, 2012).
These reports are accessible from the official website of the
concerned organization and also accessible online through

6. reputable sites such as Google Scholar and JSTOR. The
researcher will rely on journals and online repositories to make
an informed analysis that responds to the aims and objectives of
the research.
Methodology
My research methodology is influenced to a great extent on the
ability to access and store information about IHT. As mentioned
earlier, the purpose of this research is to evaluate gaps in the
legislation within the United States and other countries and how
these gaps contribute to the abetting human trafficking. The
research question is: how do gaps in legislation undermine the
fight against human trafficking in the United States?
This research will rely on secondary data available through
online scholarly repositories. These articles will be accessed
through Google Scholar and JSTOR. An online search was
performed online using key words “human trafficking”,
“international human trafficking”, “trafficking in persons.” The
inclusion criteria covered articles published over the last 10
years. The exclusion criteria included articles touching on HT
but whose publication dates exceeded 2009. A sample of 15
articles was chosen based on purposive sampling method. This
method is allows personal judgment of the researcher to guide
determination of the most appropriate articles consistent with
the objectives of the research question. The method is most
appropriate for this research given the need to ascertain articles
that are most relevant to the research from among a large pool
of articles.
This research will adopt a descriptive qualitative design. This
method is most appropriate for this research since the researcher
is interested in understanding the relationship between the laws
of the land and the impact on human trafficking. Qualitative
descriptive research design is idea when an exact description of
research outcomes is most desired (Lamber & Lambert, 2012)
since it avoids complex interpretation of research findings (Kim
et al., 2016). Acquisition of data on human trafficking depends
greatly on information collected from state actors making

7. secondary data appropriate for this research. Research results
will be tabulated according to their similarities and analyzed
using descriptive methods to determine the relationship between
effective laws and prevalence of human trafficking.
Expected Outcomes and Conclusion
A possible outcome of this research paper is to demonstrate that
many countries have not strengthened their legal framework to
deter and combat increased human trafficking in the world. As
mentioned earlier, some countries have adopted the culture of
tolerance for some forms of human trafficking such as forcing
young girls who move from one region to another in search for
employment opportunity into sexual relationships. While some
countries criminalize such behavior, other cultures around the
world consider such practices as customary and a way to
marriage. Importantly, while laws in some countries recognize
the vulnerability of victims of human trafficking and their
victimhood, others treat victims as offenders and consequently
do not secure them as important state witnesses. Victims,
through their experiences, can offer valuable information about
major cartels in human trafficking that facilitates the
investigative process necessary in curbing the scourge. Victims
who can recount their experiences and testify in the judicial
process as considered key witnesses and component in
successful investigation and prosecution. Psychologists argue
that victims are socialized to fear the law enforcement agents,
to not tell a complete story when caught by telling rehearsed
responses, not identifying themselves as victims, and
identifying with the trafficker. This reality comes from the
controlling nature of the trafficker over the victims. Where laws
do not appreciate this connection, states will end up jailing the
victims while traffickers continue their trade wrecking in
billions of dollar every day.
Another possible outcome would be the legalization of
commercial sex without putting in place sufficient structures to
protect innocent women and girls who may be coerced into the
practice. A culture that legalizes sex for money tends to view

8. women as properties are inherently predisposing them to
dehumanization. Sex traffickers could take advantage of the
culture that commoditizes women since society is unlikely to
react to cases of sexual abuse. It is important that states that
legalize commercial sex establish mechanism to protect
vulnerable demographics such as domestic workers who may be
at the mercy of their employers resulting in sexual abuse and
servitude. The Netherlands is regarded as a major source,
destination as well as a transit state for human trafficking
syndicate. The country has developed some of the most
accommodative laws in commercial sex with its red light
districts considered among the most active worldwide. A
significant number of women of Dutch origin continue to be
trafficked within and beyond the country’s borders. It is
possible that the culture of commercializing women could be
impacting on the national narrative on human trafficking. The
research will be limited by the difficulties in obtaining primary
data from the victims and offenders given the legal and
practical difficulties involved.
References
Blue Campaign. (2019). U.S Department of Homeland Security.
Retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov/blue-campaign
Federal Anti-Trafficking Laws. (2019). National Human
Trafficking Hotline. Retrieved from
https://humantraffickinghotline.org/what-human-
trafficking/federal-law
Global Report on Trafficking in Persons. (2014). United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime. Retrieved from
https://www.unodc.org/res/cld/bibliography/global-report-on-
trafficking-in-persons_html/GLOTIP_2014_full_report.pdf
Human Trafficking by the Numbers. (2017). Human Rights
First. Retrieved from
https://www.humanrightsfirst.org/resource/human-trafficking-
numbers
Kim, H., Sefcik, J. S., & Bradway, C. (2017). Characteristics of

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Lambert, V. A., & Lambert, C. E. (2012). Qualitative
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Rebecca Harris et al. (2017). Combating Human Trafficking; A
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Trafficking in Persons Report. (2018a). Netherlands. U.S
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