According to Sienna Baskin, director of the Anti-Trafficking Fund at Neo Philanthropy in New York, human trafficking happens in diverse settings—from cities in the U.S. to small villages around the world. Likewise, many people might be surprised to learn the most prevalent form of human trafficking is labor trafficking, not sex trafficking. According to the International Labour Organization’s 2012 report, of the 21 million victims of forced labor around the world, only 4.5 million are victims of forced sexual exploitation.

Trafficking can happen in any industry where labor protections are not included. It happens where people are vulnerable and don’t have access to formal jobs. Migrant workers are especially vulnerable because they may lack legal status, or at the very least, they are outside of their communities and do not have a support network of friends or family. In the U.S., Baskin says trafficking can be found in low-income communities, upper-class neighborhoods, strip clubs, and even county fairs.

Read the full article at Hispanics In Philanthropy 

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Jose Fermoso is a journalist covering Silicon Valley and world culture.