Global human trafficking roundup (January 4, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

District of Columbia: A woman joins to push a bill to fight against human trafficking around the world. She met up with a few representative to receive support for the bill. The bill, if implemented, will provide multi-year assistance to build criminal system to investigate and prosecute traffickers.

Canada: An organization based on Edmonton launched a national hotline to assist victims of human trafficking. The hotline will provide adequate psychological counseling to the men and women who are victims of human trafficking. The organization representative said that many victims have no place to turn for help. She hopes that the hotline will be available 24 hours a day by spring. Currently, it is open from 12:00 p.m. and 6 a.m.

EUROPE

Ireland: The authority steps to tackle human trafficking. many teens are forced to into prostitution and surrender the profits to their pimps under the threats of violence. But, pimps rarely are brought to justice. A recent case of an Irish man prosecuted for controlling prostitution and money laundering broke the myth that Ireland is immune to human trafficking, according to the report.

UK: A South Yorkshire MP stated that human trafficking conviction on Government report is unbelievably low. According to the Government report, there were only 139 conviction between 2004 and June 2010. The MP further argued that unless the authority began tackling demand side of human trafficking, there would be little change to the shocking figure.

ASIA

Lebanon: Lawmakers will soon pass legislations to combat human trafficking in the country.

According to the report, though Lebanon has separate legislations to fight against human trafficking, the country lacks a comprehensive measure to do so. The judges often make decisions contrary to the international standards because no national legislation in agreement with international laws is available.

UAE: A woman is accused of forcing two women into prostitution and is facing trial. According to the report, the victims stated that the woman met them in their country and lured them into coming to Dubai to work at an African restaurant in Dubai. However, the woman denied the allegation claiming that she never left Dubai.