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

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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