Global human trafficking roundup (February 9, 2011)
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
NORTH AMERICANew York: Tom Cruise and Church of Scientology are under federal investigation for human trafficking charges. According to the report, Church of Scientology paid only $50 a week to members to meet Cruise demands, including customizing Cruise's building, repairing his boats, etc.
Georgia: Lawmakers proposed a bill to tackle sex trafficking in Georgia. The bill, if implemented, will increase the penalties for the crime to those similar to drug trafficking, with offenders facing up to 20 years in prison for human trafficking and 50 years in prison for trafficking in minors. The bill also will provide victims with aftercare assistance for recovery.
Texas: A federal grand jury in Dallas indicted five defendants for allegedly enslaving a Sri Lanka woman. According to the indictment, defendants forced the victim into labor and confiscated her travel documents and passports with an intent to pervert her from leaving or traveling. each defendant is facing multiple charges. They could each face up to 20 years in prison with $250,000 fine for the count of forced labor alone.
Florida: A Miami man is facing sex trafficking charges. He was caught after the police stopped his van without a license plate. Police said that he is accused of transporting three women for sex slavery and the violence of his family members used to keep the women working for him.
Hawaii: A federal grand jury indicted two additional defendants in relation to Global Horizon Manpower Inc. case, in which the company exploited 400 Thai workers with labor. Each defendants are facing 10 years and five years in prison for co- conspiracy in arrangement to force 400 workers into debt bondages.
EUROPE
UK: Prime Minster was urged to do more to stop human trafficking before London Olympics. According to the UK press association, the report expects that the Olympic game will magnet human trafficking victims and criminal gangs next year.
Italy: Police arrested 40 people for selling young Romanian girls' virginity online. Their organization is branched throughout several cities in Italy and men purchased the right to have sex with the victims for 6000 euro ($8,210) online.
ASIA
The Philippines: The court made a first conviction of labor trafficking case. A woman is convicted of recruiting victims for housemaids in Malaysia without compensation. The victims testified that they worked for 9 months for their Malaysian employers but were not paid at all. According to the report, there have been total 38 conviction of human trafficking case, out of which 37 cases involved sex trafficking.
Saudi Arabia: US Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General in Dhahran allegedly used the labor exploited by their recruitment agency. According to the report, workers are found to be living in slavery conditions. The cleaners at the Embassy are only paid as little as $4.44 a day while gardeners are getting paid a little more than $3.00. Their contract has also been confiscated by the company.
Japan: The number of Filipino women entering Japan under entertainment visa is in rapid decline, according to the report. The decline occurred after the Japanese embassy in the Philippines imposed more strict immigration policies on entertainment visa. The restriction was followed by the criticism on rampant human trafficking in Japan by the U.S. State Department.
LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS TO POST GLOBAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING ROUNDUP OVER THE SUMMER. IF INTERESTED, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT. Thank you!!!!!!!
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