Modern Slavery: The Other Global Pandemic We Need To Address

Adeline Chai

In late March, factories in Bangladesh that supply garments and footwear for many fast fashion retailers shut down their operations, leaving many workers unpaid. Large buyer companies, the likes of Nike, H&M, Ralph Lauren, Zara, Gap and Levi’s, were terminating orders that had already been completed or delayed payments after being affected by economic losses during the global pandemic. Non-profit organization Remake championed the social media campaign #PayUp to expose these brands, where a petition that garnered 200,000 signatures led to such pressure that the aforementioned companies paid factory workers affected by the cancellation of orders, unlocking $1 billion worth of wages in Bangladesh and $15 billion globally. 

The fight, however, has not stopped there. While some claim the recent allegations against Wayfair for child trafficking are just conspiracy theories, the reality is the phenomenon of human trafficking is a global pandemic that is cited by the State of California Department of Justice as “the world’s fastest growing criminal enterprises” and has yet to be properly addressed.

According to the United Nations, the definition of human trafficking includes activities such as forced labor, slavery and sexual exploitation. Sexual exploitation for human trafficking can occur in the forms of prostitution, pornography and child sex tourism. According to the International Labour Organization, as of 2012, 98% of the individuals exploited under commercial sex trades comprised of girls and women. Though the word “trafficking” itself implies movement (which does occur transnationally through borders), the definition includes youth being exploited within their own countries and worse still, their own homes given the ubiquitous and fast-paced mediapolis we live in today. 

Some communities experience the drastic effects of the pandemic more than others – groups that are already socially and economically vulnerable, such as refugees, are at high risk of exploitation, especially in times of uncertainty and disaster. Moreover, support structures become less accessible, with reports that 75% of humanitarian organizations worldwide have temporarily stopped their operations. 

Catherine Worsnop, an assistant professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, conducted research on the links between disease outbreaks and trafficking in 2017, leading her to the conclusion that such outbreaks amplify the underlying factors of human trafficking such as economic inequality, stigma and separation from family, therefore increasing trafficking activities. Due to the lack of funding and access due to the COVID-19 lockdowns, organisations like Evelien Holsken’s Free a Girl, which aims to abolish sex trafficking of children in South Asia, has been struggling to meet the needs of children in India who are experiencing both trafficking and hunger. 

While it’s clear the lockdown has worsened the issue of sexual exploitation of children in places around the globe, the Philippines, often referred to as the epicenter of the global child sexual abuse material (CSAM) trade, has had 279,166 cases of online child sex abuse reported from March 1 to May 24 alone, according to data collected from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in America. During the lockdown in late April, 8 children were rescued from Luzon and Lapu-Lapu through 2 police operations aimed at cracking down cybersex activities. Director of International Justice Mission Philippines, Samson Inocencio Jr. revealed that “more than ever, [the] justice system should continue to work to protect vulnerable children who are unsafe during the lockdown.” His comment was made in reference to the arrest of David Timothy Deakins in late May, who is among facilitators operating livestreams of children being sexually abused in their homes at a large scale to cater for paedophiles from foreign countries. The need to end human and sex trafficking following this comment also rings true given the statistics from the organization show that in more than 62% of online child sexual abuse cases, children are exploited by their own family members or relatives. 

Similarly, Europe’s policing agency, Europol, published a report that illustrates the increasing distribution of CSAM in European member states during the pandemic, measured through indicators such as posts on dark web sites and forums, detection of attempts to enter websites that feature CSAM, and the exchange of CSAM between peer-to-peer networks. It is believed that the Internet has become a medium used by traffickers to profit off the sexual exploitation of children after trafficking operations have been impacted by travel restrictions.

The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office claimed that cybercrime reports have tripled during the pandemic, with more than 850 reports filed, most of them entailing the distribution of illegitimate photos involving minors. There were more than 4 million reports to the national cyber tipline for child exploitation.

For Rohingya refugees, their relatives have received calls from traffickers demanding ransoms in order for them to safely arrive at their destination. Many Rohingya refugees have been residing in camps in Bangladesh after fleeing Myanmar due to the crackdown by army troops in 2017. One of them is Abdul Hakim, who has worried for the safety of his sister since her departure in March: “I don’t know if she is alive or dead. A broker called me from the ship a month after she left and asked me to pay 100,000 taka ($1,180) if I wanted her to stay alive and enter Malaysia. We already paid 45,000 taka for the journey through loans. Where will I get so much money?”

Amidst the pandemic, Malaysia has refused entry to the Rohingya refugees due to border restrictions. In early June, 269 Rohingya refugees were detained upon their attempt to enter Malaysia on a damaged boat.

Restriction of movement has also increased complications for the housing of human trafficking victims. Anti-human trafficking organization, Freedom Network USA, reported that shelters and housing programs have radically decreased their capacity to host survivors while movement of residents within the property have been restricted, which could be traumatizing for victims who have previously had their movements restricted by traffickers as a form of control.

This is reflected in Kenya where the government continues to rely on private entities to provide shelter for victims of human trafficking. Judy Gitau, Equality Now’s Regional Coordinator for Africa, expressed her concern for the significant increase of trafficking and sexual violence cases amidst the lockdown. She believes “these [private] shelters cannot handle the numbers.” The temporary placement of vulnerable victims of human trafficking such as children and women in police cells or remand centres before moving them into shelters is a testament to the lack of state-run support services available in Kenya. In 2019, organizations such as Awareness Against Human Trafficking have sued the government for violating the rights of victims after being arrested and taken to the police station post-rescue.

It’s difficult to read statistics and comments like these. It’s more difficult still, to watch it unfold on a screen. My cursor hovers over the “stop” icon as I watch a tell-all documentary that exposes sex trafficking in the Philippines. The piercing cries of children and the sight of bags filled with candies used as rewards for their “performances” in front of webcams convey a medley of uncomfortable, ugly, chilling emotions followed by furiously pressing the mute button with a shaky finger. What is most difficult though, is experiencing this. When I wanted the noise and abuse to stop, it did. I had a choice. But those children and adults who have been conditioned and coerced into accepting slavery as their only reality do not.

Time and again, the world has failed to hear their cries. We have failed them. How many more statistics do we have to see for us to declare “Enough is enough”? 

The fight against human trafficking continues but, in the words of abolitionist organization A21, “Freedom will have the final word.”

You can volunteer, donate or contribute to any of the organizations mentioned above who work tirelessly every single day to abolish modern slavery. 

Pulp Editorsmodern slavery, human trafficking, A21, Rohingya, child slavery, pandemic