Effective Countermeasures Against the Trafficking in Human Beings and Smuggling of Migrants (From Resource Material Series No. 62, P 80-93, 2004, Simon Cornell, ed. -- See NCJ-206385)

• NCJ Number: 206392
• Author(s): Richard L. Hoffman
• Date Published: February 2004
• Length: 14 pages
• Sale Source: United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders
• Publication Format: Book (Softbound)
• Publication Type: Issue Overview; Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: Japan
• Note: Presented at the 122nd International Training Course, "The Effective Administration of Criminal Justice to Tackle Trafficking in Human Beings and Smuggling of Migrants," September 2 - October 24, 2002, in Tokyo, Japan.

Annotation

This paper describes the efforts of the U.S. Government, together with other governments and nongovernmental organizations, to counter human trafficking and migrant smuggling, with attention to both the successes and the difficulties.

Abstract

When the U.S. Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, it recognized that human trafficking is a complex, multifaceted, and transnational issue that involves organized crime and corruption, human rights, economics, migration, labor, public and individual health, and social services. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act provides law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies with better statutory tools for prosecuting trafficking cases. It also provides for longer prison sentences for traffickers and establishes several programs for preventing trafficking and protecting trafficking victims. The U.S. Attorney General has allocated resources to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division to combat trafficking more effectively. The U.S. anti-trafficking strategy combines prosecution, protection, and prevention. Trafficking prosecutions have increased substantially in the United States, and law enforcement and prosecutorial personnel have been trained to deal more effectively with these cases. The Justice Department has also cooperated with nongovernmental organizations who provide victim services and obtain information on organizations and individuals who have abused them. On February 13, 2002, President Bush signed an executive order that created the President's Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, and the United States has engaged in public awareness campaigns both at home and abroad. International efforts have been an important focus of the U.S. Government. In addition, there have been efforts to enhance the cooperation of agencies that monitor U.S. borders through security measures and the screening of those entering or exiting the country to identify any trafficking victims.