Child_Trafficking

I have been a flight attendant for American Airlines for over 30 years and became aware of the issue of child trafficking last summer after traveling in Cambodia. I realized that flight attendants could play an important role in stopping this tragedy if they just knew what to do. Deborah Sigmund, Founder of Innocents at Risk, has developed materials for flight attendants on the issue, highlighting the critical role they could play in identifying traffickers on airplanes.

I invited Deb on an Airline Ambassador humanitarian mission to the Dominican Republic to explore collaboration. On the trip our team of small team of 8 discussed the issue, and correctly identified THREE cases of trafficking as we left the country (on Delta, JetBlue and American). In every case, the flight attendants agreed with our assesment but did not know what to do. We showed them a brochure and they had the pilots to call the National Hotline phone number. Immigrations Customs Enforcement IICE) was alerted to pay special attention when processing the individuals through Customs.

Flight Attendants and pilots can play a key role as eyes and ears for international security efforts, and Airline Ambassadors is pleased to spearhead awareness in the airline industry. Congressman Chris Smith has agreed to work with us and host a Congressional Briefing in early July to engage airlines in this issue. Our goal is to inspire every airline to include a trafficking segment in the Security portion of annual EPT’s for pilots and flight attendants, and include a Bulletin wiith the Hotline # in the Emergency Manual.

Nancy Rivard, President, Airline Ambassadors - Please see information below from the Innocents at Risk website: www.innocentsatrisk.org.

Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery. It plagues every country. The United States is one of the largest destination countries in the world. Victims are deceived into accepting a job offer that promises them a better life. Instead, they find themselves trapped in a cycle of physical and psychological abuse. They are prisoners who cannot escape. Their lives are full of pain, brutality and despair.

Human trafficking takes place in every country, from the richest to the poorest. According to the United Nations, over 130 countries are origin, transit or destination countries for human trafficking. It feeds on the world’s most vulnerable women and children and is driven by the demand in affluent countries.

Approximately 18,000 persons are trafficked into the United States from over 50 countries every year. Over 300,000 children are trafficked within the United States annually. U.S. children are trafficked to large urban centers such as Washington, D.C., New York and Los Angeles, as well as to main tourism destinations including Las Vegas and Florida. The American girls and women that are trafficked come from big cities and small towns. They come from affluent, middle class, and lower income families and from many ethnic backgrounds. They are recruited from malls, schools, youth centers, theme parks, neighborhoods, and online.

Trafficked persons are not always hidden in dark rooms, away from the public eye. They are transported from one place to another. They use public transportation. Since they suffer injury and harm, they require medical care at hospitals and domestic violence shelters. Since they seek relationships with people of the same religious, ethnic and cultural groups, they attend places of worship and go to community centers.

To be able to assist, we need to know what to look for. A combination of any of the following indicators could signal the presence of suspicious activity and possible human trafficking.

Have injuries or signs of physical abuse.
Appear malnourished.
Seem disoriented and not know where she or she is.
Have few personal possessions and always wear the same clothes regardless of the weather or circumstances.
Not have identification documents.
Avoid eye contact and appear hesitant to talk to strangers.
Be fearful of authority figures, especially law enforcement.
Rarely be allowed to come and go independently and may be accompanied by someone who controls their every movement.

Success Stories

Growing numbers of trafficked persons are being rescued because someone recognized that something was not right. The following stories are examples of how good Samaritans are making a difference.

On a recent flight, some backpackers asked a flight attendant to help a teenage girl traveling alone. Someone had handed her off to them and she spoke no English. After the plane arrived in Washington, D.C., the attendant noticed no one showed up to meet the girl. She had a number to call, but the man that answered became angry that she had arrived earlier than expected. The flight attendant called the authorities.

While taking the train from New York to Washington, D.C., a woman noticed two pretty teenage girls. Although it was winter, they were not wearing warm clothes. They were coughing and sneezing and looked ill. They were accompanied by a man who watched their every move. The girls seemed afraid and would not make eye contact with the traveler. “I was sure that something was wrong,” she said. She recognized the warning sign, took the initiative and made a call to authorities.

A child became separated from her parents in the parking lot of a large theme park. Two men approached her and enticed her over to their truck, offering to help find her parents. She started screaming, but the men forced her into the vehicle and drove away. A passerby noticed the struggle and called the police, providing a detailed description of the truck and the abductors. The child was rescued.

What is Being Done

The U.S. government is a leader in the global fight against human trafficking. In October 2000, the U.S. Congress passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which includes the prevention of trafficking, the prosecution of criminals and protection and assistance to victims of trafficking, both in the United States and abroad.

The U.S. Department of Justice has prosecuted about 400 cases of trafficking since 2000. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services assists victims of trafficking in the United States by funding service programs and through public information campaigns. The U.S. Department of Labor funds anti-trafficking programs overseas and monitors places of employment in the U.S. to identify abusive labor practices.

The U.S. Department of State, through its Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking, assesses and reports on the global trafficking situation in its annual Trafficking in Person Report. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued over 1500 T visas to identified victims of trafficking.