Global recession lends to human trafficking

The lead investigator on human trafficking to the United Nations says that trafficking is likely to increase due to the global economic recession. The report given to the U.N. general assembly says this is because the root causes of trafficking has escalated as well. Poverty, unemployment, and inequality are said to be the root causes.

From this Associated Press story that we found at the Miami Herald, writer Edith Lederer details the report.

In a report to the General Assembly, Joy Ngozi Ezeilo expressed concern that trafficking ``continues to thrive'' because these root causes are not being sufficiently addressed and ``potential victims become more desperate to escape their unfavorable situations.''

Ezeilo, a human rights lawyer and professor at the University of Nigeria who was appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council job in August 2008, also expressed concern that trafficking victims are sometimes deported ``without a sufficient period for recovery and reflection.''

People who are trafficked should not be detained, charged, prosecuted or summarily deported, she stressed.

``Often, victims of trafficking ... have suffered severe trauma of a physical, sexual or psychological nature and require an enabling environment and the specialized services provided by trained personnel to trust, feel safe to talk about their victimization to, and assist law enforcement officials,'' Ezeilo said.

She expressed concern that governments are not paying adequate attention to the identification of women, children and men trafficked for sexual exploitation and cheap labor, and to measures to protect and assist them.