September 26, 2011 - Like this? Subscribe to get instant updates.
Mexico took yet another step this month in its fight against human trafficking, as two of the nation’s most important newspapers, El Universal and El Gráfico announced that they would stop publishing the sex ads, which have long been a staple of the papers’ advertising revenue. In a front page editorial in El Universal last week, the publisher of the two periodicals said that it was halting the ads as they could be used by human traffickers in Mexico in their exploitation of women and children. In the editorial, the paper called on other publications in the country to follow suit and also remove the sex ads from their pages.
Although at least some in Mexico are open about the problem of human trafficking in their country, the issue tends to fly under the radar north of the border. However, this does not mean that the U.S. is not similarly struggling with this problem. Former U.S. Attorney for Arizona, Dennis Burke attempted to bring the problem of human trafficking out of the shadows, urging law enforcement to make fighting it a priority and exhorting the public to be vigilant in their communities. However, fighting human trafficking in Arizona is often complicated by the issue of legal residency status, where those who are either victims or witnesses are reluctant to report criminals for fear of being arrested themselves or deported.
However, many experts on human trafficking are skeptical that any effort to permanently eradicate this problem from the U.S. will be successful in the absence of comprehensive immigration reform. National immigration reform would lead to greater cooperation between federal and state authorities in addressing many immigration-related issues, including that of human trafficking. Reform would also bring many undocumented individuals out of the shadows, so that victims of human trafficking can be more effectively reached by those who would seek to help them, and so that these individuals can seek out law enforcement protection themselves.
Although at least some in Mexico are open about the problem of human trafficking in their country, the issue tends to fly under the radar north of the border. However, this does not mean that the U.S. is not similarly struggling with this problem. Former U.S. Attorney for Arizona, Dennis Burke attempted to bring the problem of human trafficking out of the shadows, urging law enforcement to make fighting it a priority and exhorting the public to be vigilant in their communities. However, fighting human trafficking in Arizona is often complicated by the issue of legal residency status, where those who are either victims or witnesses are reluctant to report criminals for fear of being arrested themselves or deported.
Advertisement
Because Arizona is a main corridor through which immigrants enter this country, the state also has the unfortunate distinction of being a hub for human trafficking. As such, there are several organizations working here to fight this problem. The Arizona League to End Human Trafficking has been operating in the state since 2003, providing support to victims of human trafficking and educating the public about the issue. Earlier this year, another local organization, the Southern Arizona Human Trafficking Task Force, was founded as a collaboration between eighteen different Southern Arizona agencies, fighting to end human trafficking and help victims rebuild their lives.However, many experts on human trafficking are skeptical that any effort to permanently eradicate this problem from the U.S. will be successful in the absence of comprehensive immigration reform. National immigration reform would lead to greater cooperation between federal and state authorities in addressing many immigration-related issues, including that of human trafficking. Reform would also bring many undocumented individuals out of the shadows, so that victims of human trafficking can be more effectively reached by those who would seek to help them, and so that these individuals can seek out law enforcement protection themselves.
Continue reading on Examiner.com Fight against sex trafficking linked to immigration reform - Tucson Immigration | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/immigration-in-tucson/fight-against-sex-trafficking-linked-to-immigration-reform#ixzz1ZBDJLJ99
No comments:
Post a Comment