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Fight Against Virginia Human Trafficking

By Rosella Campbell


The efforts embraced to end the modern slavery seem to bear little fruits as the number of victims increased every year. This reveals a shocking eradication results in Virginia where the efforts of the law enforcers remains hampered by inherent and emerging challenges. The agencies encounter an investigation challenge in identifying the Virginia Human Trafficking cycle from other related-vices. Equally, majority of the victims experience language barriers in their new land owing to their different ethnic background. This affects the communication process, thus the coordination of the victim-witness.

Human trafficking differs from smuggling in that the latter involves willing participants who are transported across international borders for a purposeful course. The former involves fraudulent and forceful recruitment or harboring of individuals for their services. By this logic, trafficking may arise in the home country when one is moved to another state. In view of the stretch from local to international platform, all jurisdictions should offer a coordinated process right from investigations to rehabilitation of these victims.

The scary statistics illuminates the fast growth of human dealing places the vices as the second largest in the criminal industry. The status of the cruel activities leaves Virginia in a declined crackdown owing to its present state of human anti-trafficking laws. Unlike the vigor exposed by the traffickers, the loopholes existing in the present laws offers a slap on their hand while most perpetrators get away unpunished.

For many, the trafficking activities invoke images of frightened victims snatched away at night and sold in distant land. While this shows the platform the industry greatly depends upon to terrorize their targets into silence, the traffickers have embraced an online marketplace. The discovery of the new and hidden outlet enables them peddle their victims unnoticed. This makes the enforcement process difficult owing to its logistical consumption and layers the officers have to navigate.

The complementary process offered by the office of attorney general to the policies implemented by the federal government, seeks to initiate progressive crackdown in the state. Initially, the office seeks to attain a declined rate by increasing the penalties levied on prosecuted perpetrators. Moreover, the office assumed a forefront campaign by engaging awareness work groups and training sessions. For example, the 2011 coordinated training with the criminal justice services aimed to attain a speedy prosecution process.

Inviting the participation of the general public members through calls for whistle-blowers proves an integral source of eliminating the roots of the trafficking rings. Although this is enough evidence of the attention to administer justice to these victims, the special funding of rehabilitation process reveals commitment accorded. Besides the financial assistance, the integration process comprising offering shelter and counseling shows the priority in healing the unforgettable wounds inflicted upon the victims.

Unlike the customary perception that the criminals targeted individual from specific regions and background, the present activities have spread. This threatens the public safety of human race as their victims are drawn across all races and socioeconomic class. In view of this, every individual remains exposed to traffickers irrespective of their place of residence.

Public awareness and involvement of task forces should constitute the initial process of eradicating the contemporary slavery at its source. For that reason, organizations dedicated to safeguard the dignity of the victims have owned the fight by highlighting the issues to speed public consciousness through training. Furthermore, this has facilitated sharing of resources through awareness programs to end the activities right at the backyard.




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