Human Trafficking as a Violation of Health and Well-being as a Human Right

Human trafficking is a serious issue that violates the basic human rights of the individuals that are affected. The exploitation of the innocent people forces them to live in morbid conditions, depriving them of dignity and freedom.

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Health and well-being as a human right (violation)

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Health and well-being are considered to be the basic human rights that should be provided
top any free citizen of a nation, yet, individuals are found to be deprived of such rights due to
the presence of corruption in the society. Human trafficking is just another form of slavery in
the modern sense, and it is this very fact that makes us question whether the concept of a free
world is a myth or a reality. Trafficking of individuals can be for a number of purposes, and
this industry is worth billions of dollars. According to United Nations Human Rights (2018),
more than 20 million people are being denied of their basic human rights and everyone
involved has been barred from being free. The belief that trafficking is limited only to women
and children is no longer true, since men are equally vulnerable to this grave criminal practice
(United Nations Human Rights, 2014).
Trafficking violates not only the freedom and security of the individual but also threatens the
dignity and well-being of that individual (Kaufmann, et al., 2010). A comprehensive legal
framework does exist for the regulation and restriction of such malpractices, but the issue at
hand is a lot larger than can be combatted by the authorities. This is the reason why millions
of people are trafficked every year, while a large number still continue to be vulnerable to the
perpetrators.
There is no limit to how the individuals trafficked are being exploited, or to which extent they
are being transported. It isn’t necessary that the victims be transported across international
borders – they may be trafficked well within the country itself (United Nations Human
Rights, 2018). The very nature of the crime is clandestine in its outlook, which makes it
difficult to attribute a specific limit or definition to what can be classified as being a case of
human trafficking. The crime could be carried out for various purposes, such as organ
removal, prostitution and exploitative or forced labor in private homes, factories or farms
(Pescinski, 2015). The individuals who are from a socially or economically more unstable
background are the ones who are mostly vulnerable. This is because the limitations pertaining
to life choices and the subsequent poverty render those social classes powerless and often
lead them to undertake risks that a privileged person would normally not dare to try.
Additionally, gender-based discrimination and xenophobia may also contribute to an
increased risk of trafficking for the individuals.
Human trafficking strips the individuals of their right to life and security and deprives them
of leading a healthy life. The laws of international human rights make it evident that every
person, regardless of their age, gender, race, ethnicity or nationality, is entitled to all the

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rights, and children often require additional benefits and protection since they are weaker and
thus more vulnerable. The laws prohibit the practices of exploitation for labor or prostitution,
slavery, debt bondage and the other associated practices, and these are the usual constituents
of the crimes that are inflicted on the victims of trafficking. Even the survivors of human
trafficking are under serious threat under the governments, since they often have to face
isolation from the available support systems, and in most cases they are under constant
pressure from their traffickers as well (Napolitano, 2016). Therefore, even if one does
manage to escape the tirade of the perpetrators, it isn’t easy for them to start afresh and attain
the basic needs such as shelter and food. People are often prosecuted for the violation of the
immigration laws, or are detained by the judicial systems, only to be pushed back into the
vicious cycle of trafficking all over again. This degrades the mental well-being of the
individuals as well, forcing them to develop a sense of mistrust regarding the support
systems, which might even discourage them from approaching them for help in the first place
(Oram, et al., 2012).
Human trafficking is a serious issue that violates the basic human rights of the individuals
that are affected. The exploitation of the innocent people forces them to live in morbid
conditions, depriving them of dignity and freedom. There are protocols to make sure that the
victims of trafficking are not treated as criminals and are rehabilitated, which include judicial
aid, temporary shelters, psychological and medical services, and other means of
compensation. However, it is only through the empowerment of the vulnerable groups and
the survivors that the discriminatory practices can be curbed.

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References
Kaufmann, P., Kuch, H., Neuhaeuser, C. and Webster, E. eds., 2010. Humiliation,
degradation, dehumanization: Human dignity violated. 6th ed. London: Springer Science &
Business Media.
Napolitano, K., 2016. Human trafficking: A human rights violation. [online] Laboratory to
combat human trafficking. Available at:
<https://combathumantrafficking.org/2016/12/human-trafficking-human-rights-violation/>
[Accessed 19 October 2018].
Oram, S., Stöckl, H., Busza, J., Howard, L.M. and Zimmerman, C., 2012. Prevalence and risk
of violence and the physical, mental, and sexual health problems associated with human
trafficking: systematic review. PLoS Medicine, 9(5), pp. 100-124.
Pescinski, J., 2015. A human rights approach to human trafficking. [online] Our World.
Available at: <https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/a-human-rights-approach-to-human-trafficking>
[Accessed 19 October 2018].
United Nations Human Rights, 2014. Human rights and human trafficking: Fact sheet no.36.
[pdf] Available at: <https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/FS36_en.pdf>
[Accessed 19 October 2018].
United Nations Human Rights, 2018. Human rights and trafficking in persons. [online]
Available at: <https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Trafficking/TiP/Pages/Index.aspx>
[Accessed 19 October 2018].