Combating Human Trafficking Globally And At Home

In January of this year, UNITED SIKHS joined organizations nationwide for the human trafficking awareness month campaign, recognizing human trafficking as “a grave violation of human rights, affecting individuals of all backgrounds and demographics”. As we navigate the complexities of our world, this is an urgent issue that demands our attention.

A recent report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reveals alarming trends. Despite increased awareness, the number of identified trafficking victims grew globally with a vast majority of human trafficking victims being women and girls. Children represent a significant proportion of trafficking victims worldwide.

Human Trafficking is not just a distant problem happening in a far away corner. Even in the US, the Federal Human Trafficking Report documents victims as young as four years old, while 98% of the crimes are related to sex trafficking. Appending to these challenges is a much glaring problem within the structure of crime reporting. This is evidenced by research funded by the National Institute of Justice saying that the state and local police often do not have specialized training necessary to identify human trafficking when they see it.

Retaining a central focus on the foundational pillars of U.S. and global anti-trafficking efforts, these concerns are hoped to be resolved by the Updated National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking. The White House Press Statement further explained the State’s “commitments to take action against systemic injustices that communities experience, including underserved populations.”

Through our International Civil and Human Rights Advocacy (ICHRA), UNITED SIKHS joins the call to exert urgent actions essential to protect vulnerable sectors, especially children. In a fervent statement UNITED SIKHS CEO Gurpreet Singh emphasized that “we can effectively address the root causes of human trafficking and provide support to survivors”.

In furtherance of the advocacy, UNITED SIKHS shares resources made available by the Department of Homeland Security, as well as Trafficking Prevention Toolkits by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Over the past two years, our Crisis Response Team at the Polish-Ukrainian border has rallied to fight the elevated threat of trafficking during the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The team has engaged in constant ground surveillance efforts and also distributed life-saving relief supplies to help prevent human trafficking attempts.

As the United Nations declared July 30 to be the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, with this year’s theme Leave No Child Behind in the Fight Against Human Trafficking, our collective commitment is vital. The need to address vulnerability factors requires immediate response from global protection advocates to ensure that no one is left behind.

UNITED SIKHS’ commitment in the fight against human trafficking extends to raising awareness, supporting anti-trafficking legislation, and providing resources for victim assistance programs. We encourage reporting any human trafficking-related issues through the National Human Trafficking Hotline (888-373-7888) and Homeland Security Investigations Tip Line at 1-866-347-2323. For members of the Sikh Community, reporting any encountered problems is made easy through calling our UMEED TOLL FREE HOTLINE at 1-855-878-6333.

Let us stand united, raise our voices, and take decisive steps to bring an end to human trafficking, safeguarding the dignity and rights of all individuals.