U.S. President Bush signs trafficking bill into law
Wednesday, February 1, 2006 12:00 PM
On January 10, President Bush signed legislation that will provide $360 million over two years to the fight against human trafficking in the US and abroad. Funds from the bill will be used to contribute to knowledge on the subject as well as for providing assistance to victims. The bill sets aside funds for studies of trafficking, to compile statistics on the sex industry, for organizations assisting victims, and for helping United States law enforcement agencies to prosecute the crime. The U.S. Department of State estimates that as many as 17,500 individuals are trafficked into the United States every year. Across international borders, the figure jumps to 700,000 people each year, a number which many advocacy groups say is underestimated and increasing. Compiled from: "Law Targets Traffickers", WomenseNews staff, WomenseNews, 14 January 2006.