Introduction
As economies flourish in different parts of the world, the criminal activities of human trafficking continue getting more undertaken by various criminal cartels. Globalization brings people from different nations in the world closer by cutting down communication and transport costs, and also by reducing the barriers to the flow of people, knowledge and products across borders (Busch-Armendariz, Nsonwu, & Heffron 2018, p129). Human trafficking gets defined as the act of obtaining or harboring or recruiting a person by the use of coercion, force or fraud or by threatening the person, with the intent of exploiting them for removal of body organs, sex, or labor ("YouTube"). This paper seeks to show how globalization aggravates trafficking and exploitation of workers. Also, it shows how the same assists in the movement against human trafficking.
Human trafficking and exploitation are illegal globally, yet the activity still exists in many parts of the world today. However, the number of criminals that get apprehended and punished for it is saddening. The most significant per cent of victims comprise of female (both women and small girls), and boys ("YouTube"). This act gets taken up by organized cartels operating both internationally and domestically. Similarity gets drawn between individuals involving in organized criminal activities and tourists (Busch-Armendariz, Nsonwu, & Heffron 2018, p101). The surprising fact remains to be that most people do not understand what human trafficking and exploitation entail. Some also do not know that they are getting exploited.
Globalization brings about revolutionary changes with great inventions getting made every day. As the human race grows brighter and more innovative, so does the greed and shrinking of morality. This industrialization comes with the stretching of the supply of labor. The companies, agriculture fields and other industries need to have a workforce capable of handling the growing need for production. Here, some employers want to minimize production costs and maximize profits. Others opt to follow illegal procedures that involve the exploitation of their workforce for either zero or very minimum wage. Also, some use these growing opportunities in different parts of the world to defraud others desperate for work. This involves cases of fraud, only for the victims to end up in situations they did not expect.
Cases of people getting overworked in mines, agricultural fields and some industries get shared once in a while in social media platforms. We have seen images and videos of people in remote areas of the globe getting used to working for long hours for very low or zero wages. Some women get deceived to go work in foreign countries only for them to end up getting forced to work as sex workers or getting exploited for domestic work ("YouTube"). They face the problem of getting back home or communicating with their families since their employers use harsh means on them, including threatening them or taking their passports so they cannot escape. Therefore, the rising cases of unemployment and desperation for work play a significant role in promoting human trafficking and exploitation.
Conclusion
However, globalization also plays an essential role in assisting in the movement against human trafficking and exploitation. The ease of movement of people, goods and services across several borders shed some light and enlightenment on possible cases of human trafficking. Today, nations get more vigilant at border cross points to be able to curb illegal immigration into their lands. More corporations and non-governmental organizations come up today to investigate and be able to help victims of human trafficking and exploitation. Also, more victims share their stories, making people aware that this menace and criminal activity exists. This prompts several governments to put up strict laws and countermeasures against these cartels perpetrating these unethical and demeaning crimes. The typical American citizen is capable of changing this human right abuse by awareness and the sympathetic understanding of human trafficking and exploitation.
