Global human trafficking roundup (February 2, 2011)

NORTH AMERICA

Arizona: StreetLight opens a safe house for sex trafficking victims. The founder of the organization was a trafficking survivor who became a prostitute in the age of 15. She said that many victims end up being in foster care or even juvenile detention which are not adequate to support victims' needs.

District of Columbia: The U.S. Department of State pledged to fight against human trafficking in more aggressive manner. The State Department therefore is joining federal task force to fight against human trafficking. According to the report, out of million people in servitude, only 5000 were identified as victims. The problem is also most acute in southern states, according to the report.

Michigan: The alleged ring leader who trafficked hundreds of Eastern European women for prostitution in Detroit had lived in Ukraine with a fake name since 2006 to avoid being captured, the report says. When arrested, he had counterfeit Russian passport, which he used to obtain Ukraine citizenship under his fake name.

New York: A human trafficking survivor shares her experience as a victim to fight against human trafficking. The 23 year old woman met her pimp when she lived in group home in the age of 15. He beat her and forced her into prostitution. She also emphasized the importance of awareness raising.

EUROPE

Russia: Two men were arrested on the charges of human trafficking. The authority captured them when they arrived in Minsik to find sex slaves. According to the report, the two young men allegedly recruited three young females and planned on taking them to Moscow for prostitution.

ASIA

Japan: The 2011 report says that the number of human trafficking cases fell by nine from the previous year to 19. The number was the lowest since the government began accounting the number of human trafficking cases in 2001. According to the report, out of total 37 victims, 24 victims were Filipino, 12 Japanese, and a South Korean. Many Filipino women are lured into coming to Japan with a promise of sham marriage to a Japanese citizen but ended up being forced into working at adult industry.

UAE: A male worker and a woman were charged with human trafficking for forcing two women into prostitution. The allegedly traffickers are from Bangladesh and held the two women against their will under debt bondage. The victims were also subject to beating and false imprisonment when they refused to prostitute.

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