While most people are aware that modern slavery is an endemic problem in North Korea, Northern Africa and the Middle East, few realize just how common such forms of slavery are in developed countries such as the United States, the UK, Germany and France.
Unfortunately, as a recent survey by the Walk Free Foundation has found, there are hundreds of thousands of slaves in these and other developed nations as certain classes of people who are vulnerable to exploitation are manipulated, used and abused by those who hold power over them.
The new report has found that there are more than 400,000 modern slaves in the United States alone, even though the U.S. has been listed as one of the top three countries doing the most to respond to this crime.
Undocumented immigrants, the homeless, workers who take part in the gig economy and certain minorities were highlighted by the report as being the most vulnerable to exploitation.
A similar situation exists in the UK where it has been estimated that up to 136,000 UK residents live as modern slaves. Once again, many of these people are immigrants, homeless individuals and other vulnerable people who can easily be taken advantage of.
Alarmingly, a growing number of children are being exploited by Britain’s illicit slave trade and are often given dangerous tasks such as carrying drugs between different areas. Migrants are particularly vulnerable in the EU, especially if they have entered without proper documentation.
Some who are already present in the EU are victimized while in other instances people in impoverished countries in Africa are tricked into allowing themselves to be trafficked into the slave trade. These poor people are usually promised decent jobs with reasonable wages but are then forced into bonded labor and/or prostitution.
Activists in Germany have recently highlighted the fact that modern slave labor is commonly used to provide cheap vegetables and meat to consumers.
The report also highlights the fact that even nations that are doing their utmost to combat modern slavery frequently turn a blind eye to products that have been made by modern slaves in third world nations, allowing companies to turn a profit on modern slave labor by exporting their produce abroad so that people in developed nations can purchase them with ease.
In the United States alone, it has been estimated that nearly $150 billion worth of imported electronic gadgets, clothes and food were connected to the global slave trade. In fact, the U.S. imports more than 40% of all products created, harvested or packaged by modern slaves.
Other G20 nations that import tens of billions of dollars of products created by the slave trade include Japan, Germany, the UK and France. These four nations combined import over $110 billion worth of products connected to the slave trade. In total, over $350 billion worth of goods connected to modern slavery is imported by G20 nations.
The top five products connected to modern slavery are electronics, clothing, fish, cocoa and sugar cane. Unfortunately, more than half of all G20 nations have yet to enact laws or policies that would stop companies from obtaining goods derived from forced labor.
There are ways that even regular people can combat the slave trade. Paying attention to purchases is one good way to help cut funding to modern slave traders; if items seem to be overly cheap then there is often a good reason to believe that forced labor may have been involved in their creation and/or transportation.
Donating time and/or finances to organizations that combat modern slavery can enable dedicated individuals to continue doing everything in their power to help those trapped in modern slavery.
One of the best things individuals can do to combat modern slavery here at home, is to be alert and aware when out and about. Modern slaves aren’t always confined to dingy factory rooms; they can be found in playrooms, nail salons and even local supermarkets. These individuals may seem quiet, tired, withdrawn and/or avoid eye contact. In some instances, they may be accompanied by someone who is clearly controlling or managing them.
By reaching out to someone who looks like they could use some assistance, Christians can bring Christ’s love to those who suffer and make it possible for them to find both physical and spiritual freedom.
~ Christian Patriot Daily
