Human Trafficking In Brazil

Comparatively, Brazil increased enforcement of its trafficking laws in the fiscal year of 2015 (Figure 3). It was reported that 374 cases were investigated and 97 prosecutions under Article 231 and 231 A. Under Article 149, there was decrease in the number of cases investigated; according to the TIP, 296 cases were investigated, 65 prosecuted, and 4 charges. Shockingly, in 2015, only 21 convictions against traffickers was reported under Articles 231, 231 A, and 149 (citation).

Brazil distinguishes itself from Title 3 countries, such as Sudan and Iran, because of its recognition of trafficking and its efforts to punish traffickers, as well as take proactive measures. However, significant change in the legal definition of trafficking and more

stringent penalties is necessary to fully begin to eliminate this issue. It is difficult to determine the true enforcement of its anti-trafficking laws, but using the information available, sufficient enforcement is not being enacted in Brazil.
Based on the TIP’s system, the United States of America is ranked as a Tier 1 country. The United States currently aims to provide both protection and prevention against sex trafficking. Women, children, and transgender men are both domestic and international victims of sex trafficking.
In 2000, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act was passed in the United States.

Its purpose was to provide protection, prevention, and prosecutions against human trafficking. Under the TVPA, the federal governments provides housing, educational, health care, job training, and other social programs to trafficking victims. The law also establishes the T-visa. The T-visa temporarily allows victims to become residents of the United States. Every year, up to 5,000 victims are able to obtain permanent residence status after three years. Before, many victims were viewed as illegal aliens and were subsequently deported. Victims are allowed into the Witness Protection Program (citation). The TVPA aimed to prevent trafficking in persons by the implementation and assertion educational and public awareness programs on modern-day slavery. Additionally, Chapter 77 of title 18, United States Code, was amended to provide harsher penalties and ensure more convictions

(citation).
Under the TVPA 2000, Chapter 77 of title 18 of the United States Code was amended by changing 10 years of imprisonment to 20 years for the trafficking of a person. The following phrase was also added to sections 1581(a), 1583, and 1584:
“If death results from the violation of this section, or if the violation includes kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or the attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, the defendant shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or life, or both” (citation).
The TVPA also created and added sections 1589-1594, addressing a variety of issues such as forced labor, mandatory restitution, and also included general provisions.
One of the most note-worthy sections created by the TVPA was section 1591. This section addresses the sex trafficking of children in the United States.
‘‘§1591.

Sex trafficking of children or by force, fraud or coercion ‘‘(a) Whoever knowingly— ‘‘(1) in or affecting interstate commerce, recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, or obtains by any means a person; or ‘‘(2) benefits, financially or by receiving anything of value, from participation in a venture which has engaged in an act described in violation of paragraph (1), knowing that force, fraud, or coercion described in subsection (c)(2) will be used to cause the person to engage in a commercial sex act, or that the person has not attained the age of 18 years and will be caused to engage in a commercial sex act, shall be punished as provided in subsection (b). ‘‘(b) The punishment for an offense under subsection (a) is— ‘‘(1) if the offense was effected by force, fraud, or coercion or if the person transported had not attained the age of 14 years at the time of such offense, by a fine under this title or imprisonment for any term of years or for life, or both; or ‘‘(2) if the offense was not so effected, and the person transported had attained the age of 14 years but had not attained the age of 18 years at the time of such offense, by a fine under this title or imprisonment for not more than 20 years, or

both.
Section 1591 outlines clear distinctions between penalties and provides a clear definition of who could be considered a trafficker and/or participant. With this inclusion, the United States is attempting to legally address the issue of child sex exploitation. Child sex trafficking remains an issue worldwide and the United States places a stronger emphasis in comparison to lower ranking countries.
The United States also passed The Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act (JVTA). The JVTA enables direct input from victims of trafficking into federal antitrafficking policy. It also gives “incentives for states to enact laws to prevent the prosecution of child victims for crimes committed as a direct result of being subjected to trafficking” and included trafficking into the definition of child abuse.
During Obama administration, International Megan’s Law to Prevent Child Exploitation and Other Sexual Crimes Through Advanced Notification of Traveling Sex Offenders was signed. This law allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to notify other countries when registered sex offenders are visiting and to dispatch information when they travel to America.

The United States designates the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and the Department of State as the main investigating agency of trafficking. The majority of federal cases are prosecuted by the DOJ.
In the fiscal year of 2014, according to the TIP report, the DHS investigated 987 cases, the DOJ investigated 835, the DOS investigated 154 cases, and the Department of Defense (DoD) investigated 14 trafficking cases. As the main prosecuting agency, the DOJ prosecuted 208 cases and charged 335 defendants, resulting in 184 convictions.
In 2015, it was reported that 1034 cases were investigated by the DHS, 802 by the DOJ, 175 by the DOS, and 10 by the DoD. The creation of the ECM’s task force resulted in the investigation of 1011 cases.