Vietnam’s Human Trafficking: Diplomat

Human trafficking and slavery continue in poor and advanced nations alike, with people forced into situations they would never choose. Only a fraction of these horrific cases are exposed, as when 39 Vietnamese people were found dead in a freezer truck in England. “Traffickers take children and adults for labor or sexual exploitation from Vietnam to countries such as Russia, Germany, or France before arriving in the U.K.,” explains Thoi Nguyen for the Diplomat. Nguyen describes the transit through multiple countries and other victims: a 10-year-old boy, beaten and forced to take drugs work to work long hours in a UK cannabis factory and a 29-year-old woman kept in small room for sex by a disabled elderly man in China. “These people are poor, vulnerable, and come from a broken family,” he writes. "They lack education as well as awareness of trafficking, and are easily lured away with good job offers.” Traffickers use online dating, gaming or social media sites; others are loan sharks or pose as migration agents. Inequality, poor education opportunities and rising household debt ensure human trafficking continues. Vietnam’s annual GDP per capita is $2,563. – YaleGlobal

Vietnam’s Human Trafficking: Diplomat

Tragic deaths of 39 Vietnamese in the United Kingdom expose the global problem of human trafficking and inequality
Thoi Nguyen
Saturday, November 16, 2019

Read the article from the Diplomat about human trafficking, with a focus on Vietnam.

Thoi Nguyen is a member of Chatham House and a member of Amnesty International UK.

The US State Department categorizes countries on compliance with standards to prevent human trafficking; Vietnam is on the Tier 2 Watch List (Source: Trafficking in Persons Report 2019, US State Department)

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