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• Heartland Alliance Research and Policy Institute describes the intricacies of human trafficking rings by telling the story of Nelson: a boy who was trafficked into forced labor in the U.S. but was eventually able to get out.
• How can philanthropists help address the problem of human trafficking?
• Read about the human traffickers who are targeting individuals through Facebook ads.
Human trafficking is a crime that can be hard to understand. It is far more prevalent, far sneakier, and far more often overlooked than most imagine. In a tragic twist, perhaps the most pernicious quality of trafficking is how it hides in plain sight.
The majority of people trafficked into slavery today in the US are not in the sex trade, but rather forced into hard labor. Most are foreign born men forced to work in terrible conditions for virtually no pay. They are stripped of their independence, their agency, and their opportunities. Nelson was one of those people.
Upon arrival, Nelson and the other “students” were forced into domestic work and landscaping. Nelson spent his time working outside, cutting grass, and maintaining lawns. They were paid anywhere between 25 and 50 dollars a week. Their “free lodging” was little more than storage facilities with no air conditioning or hot water. They were poorly fed, often served expired food.
In time, Nelson developed friendships with Americans who, upon learning of his situation, had a real concern over his well-being. Eventually, they learned enough to tell Nelson that the way he was living was not normal or safe.
“My friends told me that I had rights in this country, even though I wasn’t a US citizen. Here, we have rights as human beings — regardless of status.”
With the support of his friends, Nelson reached out to the authorities. ICE investigated and eventually shut down the trafficking ring, and Nelson volunteered to testify against the leaders of the organization. As for Nelson, the authorities allowed him to stay in the US and use his visa to build a new life. He was put in touch with the Northern Tier Anti Trafficking Consortium — now known as Heartland Alliance’s Freedom from Trafficking program.
Read the full article about human trafficking from Heartland Alliance Research & Policy at Medium