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Abolish Slavery on October 14th

Please consider joining a day of global awareness and local action in the fight against human trafficking. On Saturday, October 14, 2023, tens of thousands of people will hit the streets in hundreds of cities across the globe to walk in a single file line holding posters and handing out flyers to reach their city with information about human trafficking and how to end it.

The annual Walk for Freedom Day is organized by A21, a global youth human trafficking prevention organization. Two Iowa cities have already signed up to participate, including the Quad Cities and Orange City, Iowa. It is not too late for you or your organization to join this global awareness day.

A21 believes that every step we take locally leaves footprints globally. Every dollar fundraised, every poster seen, every person made aware of the issue of human trafficking can add up to one Global impact – a world where everyone is free. If you want to organize a walk, please contact them at a21freedomwalk@gmail.com. Should you have any general questions about A21 or the Global Walk for Freedom, email info@a21.org.

Globally Each Month 750,000 More People Migrate

Modern slavery and human trafficking are illegal worldwide.  Yet, current estimates indicate that nearly 50 million people globally are trapped in various forms of slavery. Hidden behind that sobering number are faces and stories of real people who suffer from isolation, exploitation, and abuse. There is a growing reason behind the growth in trafficking, and that is migration. The complex relationship between migration and the perpetuation of modern slavery is often driven by the desperation of migrants.

In our interconnected world, migration rates are soaring. Every month, approximately 750,000 individuals globally embark on a journey in search of a better life. However, this quest can often take a grim turn. While many migrants were successful in pursuit of better opportunities, the ubiquity of these journeys can serve as a guise, obscuring the risks of trafficking and slavery from public awareness and from migrants themselves. Workers migrating for employment face elevated risks of being trafficked and enslaved. According to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), analyzed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), 45% of all identified trafficking victims were trafficked across international borders.

Survivor Resources in Iowa and Nebraska

The Iowa NAHT’s website has a 25-page Resource Directory, including a section on survivor service providers. To find resources available to survivors of human trafficking in Nebraska, see the NebraskaPATH Service Directory.

We hope this serves as a resource for you and makes the important work you do at least a little easier.

Annual Update from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)

Maine became the first ever U.S. state to pass the Abolitionist Model, which decriminalizes survivors of prostitution while holding accountable sex buyers, pimps, and brothel-keepers.

Discord, Dirty Dozen List target, made numerous safety changes NCOSE recommended, such as rolling out parental controls, significantly improving their content policies, and requiring email verification by default.

Meta’s Messenger announced the release of parental controls – something NCOSE asked Meta to implement across all their platforms.

Instagram improved their parental controls by allowing parents to see how many friends their child has in common with accounts they follow or are followed by, and sending a notification to parents when their child blocks someone.

TikTok made their content filtering tool available on Family Pairing, so that parents can use it to protect their teens from harmful content.

Reddit significantly improved their policies prohibiting child sexualization.

How Technology Can Help Law Enforcement Fight Human Trafficking

facial recognitionLaw enforcement and human trafficking investigators are leveraging key technology advances to identify traffickers and help victims. Human trafficking is particularly hard to stop because of the clandestine nature of the crime. In most cities, victims are forced underground and threatened with death if they voluntarily talk with the police. Victims rescued by police are often scared. They often feel trapped and unable to escape the invisible chains that bind them. They want out but are too afraid to say anything.

Police and prosecutors understand these investigative hurdles, so they have started turning to advanced technology to help find, identify, and prosecute traffickers. For a full description of three types of new anti-trafficking technologies, tap here.

“Sound of Freedom” Not All Factual

“Sound of Freedom” is a trailblazing film that narrates the real-life story of the founding of Operation Underground Railroad, portraying Tim Ballard’s remarkable path of committing himself to the crucial cause of liberating children from the clutches of sex trafficking across the globe.

Of course, like any film based on a true story, there may be some exaggerated or fabricated elements included for dramatic purposes. So, which scenes in “Sound of Freedom” are actually factual and which ones aren’t? Let’s find out! To find out more, tap here.

Recent News on Human Trafficking

St. Charles police arrest five people in connection with human trafficking enterprise

Five people are now charged with multiple felonies after an international human trafficking ring was busted in Kane County. The arrests follow a months-long investigation and the victims are all women from South America.

Human trafficking remains a significant challenge in Canada, new data reveals

The Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline has identified 1,500 human trafficking cases since its launch in May 2019. Newly released data show that the number of cases has fluctuated between 251 and 460 cases per year. During this time, the Hotline supported 2,170 victims and survivors of human trafficking. Victims/survivors comprised the primary group of callers – approximately 37% – reaching out to the Hotline’s person-centered, confidential service.

Cuban nationals sentenced in relation to sex trafficking in Houston strip clubs

Three Cuban nationals have been ordered to prison for sex trafficking and related crimes. The three men, ages 38, 39, and 29 were sentenced to 210, 120 and 34 months in federal prison, respectively. One was ordered to pay $451,298 in restitution, while another was ordered to pay $359,108.

Healing Hearts With Horses

Editors Note: The NAHT was asked to share this resource in Runnells, IA. For more information, contact Deb Hoyt at healingwithhorses@iowanaht.org or (515)-210-2565.

We have a Facebook page with lots of information for the general public. It’s called “NO to Trafficking!” I worked at Safe House and have a passion for trying to help people get out of sex trafficking and for kids who are exposed to abuse. As a foster/adoptive parent, my eyes were opened wide to the horrors these children are exposed to on a regular basis, and view it as “normal” behavior.

We are trying to help one person at a time. It may not be a lot in the scheme of things but to that ONE PERSON, it can be life-changing. We are currently working with a mother and a daughter whom the judge sent the child full time into the perpetrator’s home where there were 2-3 perps.

Judges need to be more informed about this subject. He said he thought the mom “made up” the sexual abuse. Kids don’t say what she said… she said it to me, I testified at the hearing. The judge is allowing her to continue to come for therapy.

Thank you for your time and let me know if I can be of further assistance in any way. I saw the movie on July 4th at 9:30 am, I stand up for children and hopefully let them know “God’s children are NOT FOR SALE!” I do equine therapy with intercity kids, and they are impacted and afraid in their daily lives.

Sixty-two arrested in Europol-Interpol Human Trafficking Crackdown

Law enforcement from five European countries have disrupted an intercontinental criminal network of human traffickers that was smuggling migrants from Cuba to the European Union. The investigation led to the arrest of 62 people. Europol and Interpol coordinated the international investigation.

A recent Europol statement said the criminal network focused on Cubans in vulnerable situations, and that for 9,000 euros ($9,969.30), it would organize their journey to Europe and provide false documentation. In total, it is suspected that the criminal network successfully smuggled around 5,000 Cuban nationals into the EU.

Besides the arrests, police also seized 18 pieces of real estate 33 vehicles, and 144 bank accounts, alongside vast sums of cash in various currencies.

Information, Articles, and Resources

By on September 28, 2023   /   News