Explainer: What is human trafficking? What can I do if I've been trafficked?

Daniel Connolly, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·5 min read

For a version of this article in Spanish, click here. Para una versión de este artículo en español, haga clic aquí.

News organizations across America are reporting on human trafficking in places ranging from the onion fields of Georgia to U.S. military bases in the Middle East. So what is human trafficking? How can you recognize it? And if it happens to you or someone you know, what can you do about it?

This article includes basic information about human trafficking and details on how to contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

What is human trafficking?

Human trafficking is modern-day slavery — it's when an employer uses force, fraud or coercion to make someone perform labor or commercial sex against their will, said Vinh Ho, a human trafficking expert at South Texas College of Law Houston.

What's the difference between a bad job and human trafficking?

Many people experience bad conditions on the job, such as sexual harassment, long hours, low pay or not being paid for all hours worked.

Bad conditions on the job don't necessarily mean a situation is human trafficking, said Anne Chandler, a lawyer in Houston with extensive experience in these cases.

The difference between a bad job and human trafficking is whether the worker is free to leave, she said.

“It’s one thing if they don’t get their last paycheck,” she said. “But are they afraid for their lives? Are they afraid of economic collapse of loved ones? Have there been threats of physical safety, implied or direct?”

Human trafficking is defined by factors that make it hard to leave: fraud, force or coercion.

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What are examples of force, fraud and coercion?

One example of force is bringing immigrants into the country, then forcing them to pay off the cost of the trip, said Ho.

An employer might tell the workers, “In order to make sure you pay all these things that you owe us, we’re going to keep your passports and any other travel documents.” That means the worker can't easily quit the job, he said.

Sometimes employers may threaten family members in a home country, he said.

Here are some other examples of force, fraud or coercion from a U.S. State Department publication.

  • Beatings, physical abuse, or sexual abuse or threats of violence or sexual abuse.

  • Locking in or preventing a worker from leaving the workplace or housing.

  • Threats to harm you or your family if you try to leave, complain of mistreatment, report the situation to authorities, or seek help.

  • Threats or harm toward other workers who have tried to leave, complain, report the situation or seek help, or threats that anyone who tries to escape will be found and brought back.

  • Imposing a debt that is difficult or impossible to pay off in a reasonable time and that is out of proportion to what you will earn.

  • Promising a good job and then requiring you to work significantly longer hours, under harsher conditions, or for less pay than promised.

  • Promising a good job and then making you perform another type of labor, services, or commercial sex acts.

Who is affected by human trafficking?

Human trafficking can affect a wide range of people: immigrants and U.S. citizens, men, women, teenagers and children, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

It can happen in a wide range of settings, including strip clubs and other sexually oriented businesses, agricultural work, factory work, hotels, nail salons, home cleaning services, childcare or elder care services, restaurants and bars, begging, street peddling or door-to-door sales.

A person who is a victim of human trafficking may show any of the following signs, the government agency says:

  • Evidence of being controlled either physically or psychologically.

  • Inability to leave home or place of work.

  • Inability to speak for oneself or share one’s own information.

  • Information is provided by someone accompanying the individual.

  • Loss of control of one’s own identification documents (ID or passport.)

  • Have few or no personal possessions.

  • Owe a large debt that the individual is unable to pay off or

  • Loss of sense of time or space, not knowing where they are or what city or state they are in.

What can I do if I am a victim of human trafficking, or if I want to help someone who is a victim?

A good first step is to call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or send a text message to 233733. An online chat option is also available at https://humantraffickinghotline.org./

The hotline is operated by a charitable organization called Polaris. The organization connects victims to organizations in their areas who can help with housing and other basic needs.

Help is available in English and Spanish, and operators use on call-interpreters to communicate in about 200 other languages as well.

What happens if the victim of human trafficking is in the United States illegally?

Some victims of human trafficking are living in the United States without legal permission. Even so, federal law grants them protections.

If you're in the country without permission and you need help with a human trafficking situation, it is very important to talk with a lawyer who does not work for your employer. A lawyer can help an immigrant get specialized visas known as "T" or "U" visas. You can use the hotline to find a lawyer in your area.

Can victims of human trafficking sue?

Yes, people who are victims of human trafficking can file civil lawsuits against their employer or other people involved — and they can win money in court.

If you want to file a lawsuit, contact the hotline number listed above and ask for the name of a lawyer in your area who can help.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Human trafficking: What it is, what victims can do, how to help