As foreign money pours into
Asian economies, social systems are being thrown for a loop. The change in the
job market has inspired many in poverty to work hard to secure higher salaries,
raise standards of living, and strive towards an economically stable lifestyle.
As workers begin to take on many of these roles, the standard of living of the countries
is beginning to climb to new heights. Also increasing are prices for goods, and
those below the poverty line are scrambling to supplement their now insufficient
income. The enormous lengths that these workers go to in order to achieve
monetary stability is now making them more vulnerable than ever to human
trafficking.
Migration in Asia has
recently spiked to record levels, and studies
show that 30-40% of this migration is unregulated entirely. The proportion of female workers looking for domestic jobs are on the rise too. Meanwhile, gangs
and other illicit networks of brothers, sweatshops, and factories are forming,
creating demand for migrant women attracted to the promise of high wages.
A recent
report released by The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has
found conclusive evidence that most trafficking is carried out by people whose nationality
is the same as that of the victims. The study also found that the trafficking
organizers are disproportionality less likely to be caught than foot-soldiers who
conduct the daily tasks of trafficking. This is alarming for many reasons, namely
that foot soldiers are easily replaced while their organizers remain permanent
figures in the scene. Ultimately, the invisibility that these higher ups are
able to maintain is what perpetuates multiple transport operations and allows
human trafficking to occur across the international stage.
The sad reality is that the
Asia is just one example of direct correlations between economic shifts and
expanding human trafficking circles. Today, migrants traveling from Asia are exploited all over the United States, including Chicago, by their own people
and by others. The changing trends in migration only reinforce the need for
AATOP. While there is no magic key to resolving this blatant violation of human
rights, the solution lies somewhere in grassroots conversation and
collaboration, a vision that AATOP will continually aim to achieve.
Nikhitha Murali, Intern
