Human Trafficking: A Global Problem

Human Trafficking is a global problem that affects the lives of millions of people in almost every country in the world, and which deprives them of their human dignity. As one of the most infamous crimes in the world, human trafficking is misleading and makes victims in women, men and children from all corners of the world every day and causes them to be exploited. Although the best-known form of human trafficking is sexual exploitation, hundreds of thousands of victims are also trafficked for the purposes of forced labor, forced labor as domestic servants, child begging and organ removal (Shelley, 2010). On the other side, “human trafficking is both a global problem and a domestic problem” (Jones, Engstrom, Hilliard, & Diaz, 2007, p.108-109)

since the existence of this issue inside the country indicates its inability to cope with internal instability.
Human trafficking affects almost all countries of the world, either as a starting point, a transit point or final destination, while the victims from at least 127 countries report that they are exploited in 137 countries (Shelley, 2010). In Europe, the scope of violent and humiliating sexual exploitation involves more than 140 000 victims; one in seven of those who provide sexual services in the region may have been forced into prostitution as the result of human trafficking (Winterdyk & Reichel, 2010). Although human trafficking often falls into the category of cross-border crime, it also has regional and internal manifestations because its victims are transported to neighboring countries, within their native country, as well as to other continents. The victims of this type of cross-border international crime become, for example, people from East Asia. This phenomenon has been identified in more than 20 countries in all regions of the world, including Europe, North, Central and South America, Middle East, Central Asia and Africa (Shelley, 2010).
Looking at this statistic, one can ask who is responsible for the prosperity of this business even in developed countries. The responsibility for human trafficking should be divided between several parties (Vaughn, 2010). First, the criminals themselves are the main cause of this global-scale problem. These individuals should be punished for humiliating attitude to human beings, which should not be experienced in the modern world. Second, the local authorities and law enforcement agencies are responsible since they are either unable to take the necessary measures to combat the crime or get involved with the criminal behavior in covering the illegal actions of their accomplices (Shelley, 2010). Third, state and international authorities are also in charge for being unable to solve this problem politically. The decision-making processes for the appropriate legislation and the creation of specialized agencies take much time to be properly developed and implemented.
Since human trafficking as a phenomenon has a variety of forms, the process of combating it has no easy solutions. In terms of corruption, it is difficult to deal with transnational crime. The practice of various countries shows that programs to combat trafficking of human beings include comprehensive measures (Winterdyk & Reichel, 2010). State law enforcement and security forces must unite and coordinate their actions in the fight against this crime. First of all, preventing and combating the effects of human trafficking requires international cooperation. It includes identifying the problems in the local legislation to tackle smuggling and exploitation of women and children, determining its strengths and weaknesses, as well as the reasons for such a dangerous phenomenon, and developing measures to prevent it.
It is necessary that the legislation, providing penalties for trafficking, was related to the law on organized crime and the procedural rules.

At the same time, legislators should carefully consider the offense so that intent circumstances and the persons responsible for the crime should be indicated as part of the crime (Winterdyk & Reichel, 2010). In order to prevent human trafficking, there is also a necessity to create laws and amendments on laws relating to immigration, labor migration, and studying abroad.
The third problem to be solved is the strengthening of international cooperation in the fight against human trafficking. Primarily, it includes the international law enforcement and cooperation in the field of detection and prevention of transnational criminal groups, cooperation in curbing crimes committed in each country and in exposing the perpetrators.
The fourth way to solve the problem of human trafficking is state intervention at all levels of trade. Governments of the sending and the delivering countries should confirm their position with respect to all types of agreements and programs to combat human trafficking and take steps in promoting and implementing their commitments. Unfortunately, until such cooperation is not introduced in the majority of countries, the responsibility for the results of foreign travel is imposed only on the immigrating citizen (Shelley,

2010).
The fifth way to solve the problem of human trafficking is the education and training of law enforcement agencies at all levels.

The training should include an understanding of the situation that has signs of human trafficking, definition of crimes, identification of the phenomenon of organized crime in human trafficking, and awareness of the fact that victims of trafficking should not be considered as illegal migrants or criminals but people whose human rights have been violated (Jones, Engstrom, Hilliard, & Diaz, 2007, p.108-109). Finally, the last way to solve the problem is to unite the efforts of the government agencies and social institutions in the creation of anti-trafficking programs and providing assistance to the victims of human trade (Shelley, 2010). Additionally, local people should be trained or at least informed about the dangers of being involved into foreign travel/migration process since there is always a possibility that a travel agent or foreign agency representative is a part of human trafficking

“syndicate”.
To sum up, human trafficking is a global problem with domestic roots. It does not recognize national borders, nationalities and backgrounds. Combating transnational trafficking of human beings requires international cooperation in the exchange of information and mutual assistance at all levels, starting from decision-making forces, to local law enforcement agencies and local people. People should be trained and educated to recognize the human trafficking scheme since people should be secure in their desire to find a better life abroad.