While January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month, the issue persists across all states, countries and communities, affecting approximately 27.6 million people around the world, and occurring in plain sight, in any place, at any time.
A crime involving illegally and nonconsensually moving people across borders for forced labor or sexual exploitation, many consider human trafficking modern slavery.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s (UNODC) “Global Report on Trafficking in Persons,” the number of trafficking victims in 2022 surpassed the amount detected in 2019 by 25%.
As cornerstones for travel, airports are hubs for human trafficking, possessing a bustling environment and neverending crowds. Thus, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) is working to combat this worldwide challenge, often affecting vulnerable populations including those experiencing homelessness, living in poverty, the LGBTQ community and more.
In commemoration of Human Trafficking Awareness Day on Jan. 13, local aviation professionals teamed up with federal departments to host a panel discussion and training session teaching the nuances of this rampant form of exploitation.
“Today’s event is a testament [to] the power of collaboration and shared purpose and responsibility,” said Richard Golinowksi, vice president of MWAA and manager of Dulles International Airport. “It’s an opportunity to learn to act and reaffirm our collective commitment to safeguarding the lives of the most vulnerable among us.”
The Dulles Airport event was a physical manifestation of the Blue Lightning Initiative — a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), MWAA and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to train airport personnel on how to effectively combat human trafficking. Thorough preventative training is crucial, as these employees are the first line of defense in such situations.
Indicators of trafficking in persons include suspicious appearance, inconsistent or anxious behavior and unusual interactions with co-travelers. If a person is dressed differently from their co-travelers or isn’t appropriately clothed for the weather; can’t communicate freely and isn’t allowed possession of their travel documents by their co-travelers; or seems injured, intoxicated or confused, there is a high possibility they may be a victim.
While these signs are very general and may not always mean trafficking is taking place, the observation and awareness of suspicious activity is the first step in impeding this global issue.
“We look at other countries and they have their own laws [and] they have their own culture, norms and things they do that are normal that might not look normal to us,” DHS international relations specialist Daniele Richards said during the training. “So, I see that as we’re looking internationally, what looks like human trafficking here might not be considered human trafficking in a cultural context.”
Africans Particularly Vulnerable to Human Trafficking
Because of the continent’s population of 1.4 billion, with 990 million being under the age of 30, Africa is a hot spot for offenders, as children are incredibly vulnerable and impressionable, making them easy to traffic.
The UNODC found that a third of all cross-border human smuggling cases involve African citizens.
Poverty, which is rampant on the continent, is one of the leading causes of human trafficking.
Depending on socioeconomic status, some African children need to work to help support their families, which offers numerous opportunities for traffickers to coerce them into forced labor.
According to the “Global Report on Trafficking in Persons,” 86% of people trafficked into forced labor in East Africa are children.
The report also revealed the increase of African citizens displaced as a result of climate change directly correlates with the rise in African victims detected in Europe. Some are trafficked for labor in the hospitality and construction industries, and others are trafficked for underage arranged marriage or sexual exploitation.
Regardless of what they’re trafficked for, aviation professionals in the Washington Metropolitan Area understand they must remain vigilant and protect the traveling community, especially in such proximity to the nation’s capital.
The collaboration between DHS, CBP and MWAA, serves as a blueprint for the work necessary to combat human trafficking worldwide.
“As a global hub that connects people across cities, countries and continents, Dulles symbolizes movement, opportunity and connection, and unfortunately traffickers also exploit these same networks to move individuals they’re [victimizing], often in plain sight,” said James C. Harris, assistant director at the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking. “That’s why the aviation industry has a critical role to play in fighting against human trafficking.”