By Constance Thum, Contributing Writer
To say 2020 has been chaotic would be an understatement, and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of the year launched many nations into a state of frenzied panic. Disruptions caused by the upheaval of our social and economic systems have shifted our attention away from another pressing issue: sex trafficking.
Loss of stable incomes and growing financial insecurities have exacerbated sex trafficking by incentivising more predators to exploit vulnerable communities, which exposes children to greater risks of abduction or exploitation. Equally significant is how the pandemic has diminished the budgets of organizations that investigate trafficking, partner with law enforcement to arrest traffickers and provide rehabilitation efforts for victims rescued from traffickers—the very organizations that we at One Bread Foundation support.
Reduced funding has hampered the ability of nonprofits to partner with law enforcement to arrest traffickers or engage in search and rescue operations to identify potential victims. Because governments are forced to divert their financial resources to healthcare resources, police are focused on enforcing lockdown and social distancing rules, which further limits the ability of organizations to investigate trafficking cases. By deprioritising trafficking, predators are likely to remain undetected and websites where child sex abuse material runs rampant are going unobserved.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) states that referral mechanisms have faced increased challenges, resulting in delays while identifying victims and referring them to protection schemes. Some shelters have even had to shut down their field offices and suspend outreach services. Travel restrictions have also rendered agencies like the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) less effective in international trafficking cases.
Tighter budgets and fewer available personnel have also severely interfered with organizations’ abilities to provide rehabilitation efforts for victims rescued from traffickers. Ilias Chatzis, chief of UNODC’s human trafficking section, notes, “It’s alarming to hear that, in some places, trafficking victims no longer have access to shelters, some refuges have even closed down due to the virus and others lack protective equipment - putting both victims and staff at risk.” When victims are left homeless, they may be re-exposed to exploitation or potential COVID-19 infections. Organizations that provide psychological assistance have similarly experienced a loss of funding that now prevents them from offering counselling to traumatized victims, and the shutdown of borders and lockdown of cities to curb the COVID-19 outbreak have prevented rescued victims from returning home.
One survey has found that at least one-third of anti-trafficking organizations worldwide are struggling to repatriate survivors right now. Between 2019 and 2020, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which works with the Nigerian government to repatriate victims of trafficking, experienced a 91.14% drop in the number of individuals repatriated. While some organizations offer online counselling sessions and rehabilitation courses to help victims of trafficking reintegrate, many victims reside in less developed areas and have unequal or no access to the internet.
COVID-19 has strained the organizations combating trafficking and providing aid to victims. Consequently, these troubles may inadvertently increase trafficking as predators take advantage of the disorder to operate with less risk of detection. Recovery following repatriation also faces numerous obstacles as organizations are prevented from helping victims recover. Truly, our current pandemic has revealed the precariousness of institutions and organizations that provide assistance to those in need. We must rethink how we manage important issues like trafficking that are central to protecting our rights to life and liberty. Above all, we must ensure that when times get hard, our most vulnerable are not forgotten.
To help solve this ongoing problem, set up a recurring donation to One Bread Foundation. At just $1 per month, you can help us reach our goal of recruiting 1 million supporters to raise awareness and funds for rehabilitation centers serving children rescued from sex trafficking in all 50 states. If possible, become a Legacy Partner by pledging $30 per month. Any assistance you offer may be of greater significance than you can possibly imagine.
Sources and Further Reading
'COVID-19 crisis putting human trafficking victims at risk of further exploitation, experts warn'
'COVID-19 lockdowns left Nigerian trafficking survivors stranded'
'The impact and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on trafficked and exploited persons'