U.S.: combatting human trafficking is a moral obligation
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis' visit to Lampedusa threw the spotlight on the dramatic
plight of migrants, many of whom end up kidnapped by human traffickers. The U.S.
State Department recently released its annual report on the state of human trafficking
around the world - a scourge that by some estimates has enslaved upwards of 27 million
people. Charge’d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, Mario Mesquita shared
some of the report’s findings with Tracey McClure:
Listen to the extended
interview:
The report
examines 188 countries and rates them in a Tier system according to how effectively
they combat trafficking in persons and respond to the needs of victims. “It’s the
world’s most comprehensive resource of governmental anti-trafficking efforts,” says
Mesquita. “And it raises awareness, it forces people to look at this issue seriously
because modern day slavery, trafficking in persons and the effort against it, has
to be, must remain a foreign policy priority and that’s one thing the United States
is committed to.”
This year’s report focuses on victim identification. “This
is one of the biggest problems: gauging trafficking in persons worldwide now,” says
Mesquita.
“We estimate through this report, through contacts with governmental
authorities, approximately 40,000 identified victims of trafficking in the world in
the last year. However some social scientists will put the number closer to 20 million
people worldwide. So one of the biggest problems we have actually is the identification
of victims to get that number right. To figure out how big of a problem it is. What
we do know, what we do think is, that trafficking in persons, modern day slavery,
is a serious problem; it’s a serious foreign policy issue and governments have to
continue to focus on the issue and solutions to this growing problem.”
“Human
trafficking undermines rule of law and creates instability. It tears families and
communities apart; it damages the environment. It corrupts global supply chains and
labor markets…it is a broad based problem and we need to continue to raise awareness
in all communities, in all countries…it’s a problem in all countries.”
Mesquita
cites U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s comments on human trafficking: “no government
addresses it sufficiently, including the United States. And indeed with this report,
we actually rate ourselves. But the point he makes is: there’s always work to be
done on the issue and raising awareness is one of those factors.”
The United
States, Mesquita says, is rated as Tier 1: “not because we say we are perfect and
there is no problem, but because we have implemented certain international standards
to combat human trafficking. And that’s how we look at other countries: have countries
implemented these international standards?”
When asked to enumerate some of
the success stories in the fight against human trafficking, Mesquite notes, “There
are thirty countries ranked in Tier 1 – fully compliant, fully utilizing international
standards to combat trafficking. So there are a number of countries that have significant
programs to aid trafficking victims, to identify those victims, to prosecute traffickers.”
He
also points to recent efforts by the government of Cyprus. “They added a forensic
psychologist to their anti- trafficking police unit. So they have the capacity to
do sensitive interviews that involve the identifying and investigating of trafficking
victims. Usually victims are so scared that they don’t know who to trust, even the
helping hand that’s given to them by police authorities - they’re nervous about (that).
So that program has helped to identify victims and give them aid. Latvia for example,
doubled the funding for victim services in the last three years, and of course has
seen as a result, more than double the number of victims identified and more importantly,
victims helped.”
Mesquita says the Holy See shares similar concerns about trafficking
in human persons.
“It’s absolutely something that we know the Holy See cares
about and shares our concerns about. And indeed it’s been an important issue for
Pope Francis. Pope Francis has emphasized the need to act against human trafficking
on multiple occasions and obviously we welcome his strong voice in the international
call to action.”
“In a number of countries, religious organizations have played
an important, critical role - and especially I would like to say in the aid of trafficking
victims. The United States Embassy to the Holy See for example, has had a partnership
over the years with the Talitha Kum network, a group of women religious who identify
and aid women who’ve been trafficked primarily. So there are a number of organizations
that have played important roles, that are an important voice. And one of the missions
of our embassy to the Holy See is to continue to foster those partnerships and build
strong, effective partnerships and ensure cooperation into the future.”
Cooperation
is especially needed on the governmental level to succeed in ending human slavery
Mesquita says, “because again if we’re talking about cross border problems, then you
need to have cooperation between governments to stop it. If traffickers are in one
country, the victims end up in another, you have to have that level of international
cooperation to prosecute the traffickers and aid the victims to return to their home
countries.”
Countries need to continue to dialogue, he says, to further prevention,
the identification of victims, aid to victims, and the prosecution of traffickers.
But mostly, world leaders should work together to end what is clearly an ethical scourge
on societies.
“We all do have a moral obligation to stop this problem and
having that clearly enunciated by world leaders is integral.”