How Can Knowledge About Slavery In The Past Aid Us In Preventing Slavery/human Trafficking In The Present?

RUNNING HEAD: HISTORY AND ANTHROPOLOGY

How can knowledge about slavery in the past aid us in preventing slavery/human trafficking in the present?

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How can knowledge about slavery in the past aid us in preventing slavery/human trafficking in the present?

Human trafficking is an umbrella term that encompasses the act of trading humans for sexual exploitation, slavery or forced labour. Trafficking of humans is a very complex issue that reflects not only on globalization but also on the evolution of human rights practices. Human trafficking can also be done in the context of forced marriages or the extraction of various organs such as kidneys and even surrogacy. Human trafficking can be done by various means such as kidnapping people. Specifically, young girls are lured by the traffickers by the promises of fake marriages while young boys are lured by promising better job opportunities. Although several policies and laws are made to mitigate the issue of human trafficking, yet the issue is still prevailing in our society.

According to the report published by the International Labor Organization, more than 40 million people are in modern slavery, while more than 15 million are in forced marriage (Ilo.org, 2019). Moreover, the report also highlighted that young girls are more affected by forced labour and are sold in various commercial industries. However, the history of slavery helped a lot in reducing modern slavery as many laws and policies regarding human trafficking are revised. The revised laws help in a crackdown against the human traffickers that will intron reduce human trafficking.

Specifically, discussing Australia slavery throughout the continent occurred during the period of British Colonization. Many people from Africa and Asia were immigrated illegally to Australia and were made to labour in poor conditions. Also, many indigenous Australians were forced to work without pay and they were also abused both physically and sexually. The practice of forced and unpaid labour continued. Despite government intervention, the practice is continued. Due to the demand for cheap labour, black-birding is very common in many parts of Australia. Many indigenous Australians and Malaysians were tricked and were sold as slave-labour for the pearling industry.

Owing to the history of slavery, the Australian government has made several laws and passed bills regarding the prevention of slavery. The history of slavery aids a lot in preventing human trafficking. Government and law enforcement agencies have considered all the aspects and ways by which traffickers' targeted people and made counter-strategies to prevent the issue of human trafficking. According to the divisions 270 and 271 of the criminal code, human trafficking is illegal in Australia, and anyone found guilty of trafficking humans for forced labour, or sexual exploitation will be punished as per the Australian law. According to section 271 of the criminal code, a person found guilty of trafficking children will be sentenced 25 years while an individual has to serve 12 years if found guilty of trafficking adults. However, these sentences may revise based on the severity of the case.

In the past, people were either kidnapped or were tricked so that they can be sold as cheap labour. Due to this reason, many people had to work under extremely poor conditions. Specifically, people from other countries, especially Africa, were sold and were made to do labour. The increase in the number of immigrants being forced to work under poor conditions led the government to do an act regarding the hiring of immigrants. Thus, history of slavery helped in preventing the human trafficking in a way that Australian government passed a migration act 1958 according to which it is an offence to hire a non-citizen employee without a work permit (Simmons &Beacroft, 2013). This helped in preventing the trafficking of foreigners as many owners of the industries were bound to hire people who have the work permit, thus preventing forced labour. However, despite the law, the issue of human trafficking is still prevailing in our society.

Owing to an increase in the use of technology, traffickers also use technology to communicate regarding human trade for various purpose. Technology helps sex traffickers to maintain a low profile and facilitate human trafficking ring on a global scale. So the Australian government made a Telecommunications Act in 1979 according to which law enforcement agencies are allowed to intercept not only the phone calls but emails to investigate traffickers. The evidence obtained through these helped a lot to crackdown against the traffickers. Several cases were resolved using the technology for instance, in 2004 two girls working in Malaysia were lured by a group of traffickers who promised them a job but instead sold them in Australia (Feingold, 2005). The girls were abused and sexually exploited daily. However, with the help of a customer, they were able to contact law enforcement officials. After they were released from the captivation of human traffickers’ gang, law enforcement officials started to locate the other gang members who were not caught. So with the help of the Telecommunication Act 1979, human traffickers were able to intercept the calls and emails of the gang members and eventually they were caught. Thus, the law that was made in past regarding immigrants being illegally used as forced labour helped in the present to resolve several cases of human trafficking.

Thus, it is undeniably true that past incidents facilitate a lot in reducing human trafficking. The lessons learned from the past not only aid in revising the laws but in making new laws as well. In many cases, the victims, after being released from the captivation, are often not protected. The victims are already traumatized and are in a state of severe depression that they need protection. In Australia the laws regarding human trafficking are also revised for instance Crime act 1914 was amended and a new law was made known as Crimes Legislation Amendment Act 2013 in which victims of human trafficking are also protected (Simmons &Beacroft, 2013). So, indeed, the history of human trafficking aids not only in preventing human trafficking but in protecting victims as well.

Bibliography

Feingold, D.A., 2005. Human trafficking. Foreign Policy, pp.26-32.

Ilo.org. (2019). Statistics on forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking (Forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking). [online] Available at: https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/forced-labour/policy-areas/statistics/lang--en/index.htm [Accessed 30 Oct. 2019].

Simmons, F., O’Brien, B., David, F. and Beacroft, L., 2013. Human trafficking and slavery offenders in Australia. Trends and issues in crime and criminal justice, (464), p.1.