The
U.S. Department of State recently released the
2013 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report documenting the prevalence of human trafficking around the globe. Human trafficking occurs throughout the world and affects men, women, and children. The
Palermo Protocol defines human trafficking as the “recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion.” Many trafficking victims are moved to different countries for the purpose of labor or commercial sex but trafficking may occur even when victims remain in their home country, region, or village.
The TIP Report is released annually and covers a wide variety of issues surrounding human trafficking, including identifying trafficking victims, ensuring their safety and recovery, preventing them from being prosecuted for crimes relating to their being trafficked, and bringing their traffickers to justice. This year’s Report focuses specifically on difficulties of victim identification, as only a small percentage of trafficking victims are identified each year.
The Report includes country reports that categorize countries as Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2 Watch List, or Tier 3. Tier 1 governments “fully comply with the Trafficking Victim Protection Act’s (TVPA) minimum standards,” countries in Tier 2 are making “significant” efforts to comply with the TVPA, and Tier 3 governments are not making sufficient efforts to comply with the TVPA. Tier 2 Watch List countries fall between Tiers 2 and 3 based on other qualifications. The TIP country reports outline each country’s progress in combating human trafficking and describe efforts made to improve prosecution of traffickers, protection of victims, and prevention of trafficking. In addition to country-specific recommendations, the Report gives general recommendations for further improvement of anti-trafficking measures and good practices in dealing with trafficking victims.