“Palm Beach County is Perfect Storm of Human Trafficking” by Brett Clarkson
“Palm Beach County is Perfect Storm of Human Trafficking” by Brett Clarkson
This article, extracted from the Sun Sentinel, discusses the human trafficking crime in Palm Beach Country in Florida. According to the article, thousands of illegal immigrants are shipped into the county and forced to work against their will[1]. These individuals are promised decent jobs with pleasant pay packages but they are forced to work in deplorable working conditions with minimal pay once they arrive in the county. The article reveals how the immigrants are made to sleep in unheated trailers during winter.
Human trafficking in Palm Beach has been perpetuated by the thriving agricultural and tourism industries[2]. The county is popular for pine production and illegal immigrant are shipped in because they provide relatively cheap labor. The tourism industry has promoted the growth on entertainment and other tourism establishments. Immigrants are shipped in to work in pubs, casinos, bars, restaurants and casino.
The tourism industry has also supported the development of prostitution and in turn perpetuating human trafficking. Thousands of immigrants have been forced to work as prostitutes within the county. According to this article, these young women working in brothels are often mistreated with some of them being subjected to high dosage of antibiotics in order to present menstruation.
Illegal immigrants are mainly drawn from Mexico[3]. The economic disparity between Mexico and the United States has made the Mexicans most vulnerable to this unscrupulous trade. Immigrants are also drawn from Asian countries such as the Philippines. According to the article, Palm Beach is home to thousands of Pilipino workers who are working under deplorable conditions.
Though the precise figure of victims of human trafficking within the county has not been ascertained, the article notes that the number of human trafficking investigation has gone up. In 2011, the county recorded 722 cases of human trafficking with 444 of these cases ending in the indictment of suspects[4].
The human trafficking trade in Palm Beach is an example of contemporary slavery. This is because practice subjects people to professions that they were not willing to join. Most of the human trafficking victims are often trapped by unscrupulous individuals. These victims are often enticed by promises of decent jobs and better pay.
The economic conditions in their home countries make them vulnerable to such treacheries. On arriving to their destinations, these individuals are made to perform other duties other than what they were promised. Young women who are promised jobs in hotels are forced to work as prostitutes. The element of making this people work against their will equates this practice to slavery.
Even individuals are not compelled to work within the stipulated areas are forced by their situation to do so. Most of the victims arrive in the United States without a visa or any money making it difficult for them to go back home. These victims of human trafficking are also least educated making it difficult for them to find suitable jobs when they arrive in the country. Thus, the immigrants are compelled to work in the deplorable conditions offered by the unscrupulous business men.
Human trafficking can also be considered as modern day slavery because of the conditions in which victims are made to work. The articles identified that some of the victims were made to sleep in trailers which without a heating system. In other incidents, young girls who are forced to work as prostitutes are subjected to high antibiotic dosage. This are treatment are extremely inhumane.
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