Articles

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Slavery in the New Century

Many people in the U.S. have still not heard of human trafficking, despite it being the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world. Those who are aware of it often still see it as a problem that happens only in far away Southeast Asian countries. The reality is that human trafficking occurs in virtually every country in the world, including in the U.S. In the Americas, like other parts of the world, the rich countries in the north (like the U.S.) act as “destination” countries that provide the demand for services provided by trafficking victims, while poorer countries to the south serve as “source” countries, which provide the victims. Within the U.S., human trafficking has been reported in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, with the majority of trafficking victims who are brought into the U.S. coming from Mexico.