Russia, China still rank high on slavery, human trafficking

In its annual report, the US State Department’s 2013 TIP Report (Trafficking in Persons Report) has noted that Russia and China have failed to make adequate progress in curbing human trafficking and slavery. The 2013 Trafficking in Persons Report evaluated 188 countries around the world of which only 30 could be placed in the Tier 1. The top level is reserved for countries that meet the victims-services and anti-trafficking and standards most closely.

Around 92 countries were placed in Tier 2 which lists countries that have made considerable progress in the field but still had a long way to go before making it into Tier 1. Tier 3 is reserved for countries that have failed to take adequate steps in preventing human trafficking and slavery and unfortunately, 21 countries were placed in this level this year including leading world economies like China and Russia. While their existing efforts have been deemed insufficient in curbing modern day slavery, the report also states that these countries have also failed to come with adequate anti-trafficking laws and practices at large. The two global powers had previously been placed in Tier 2 of the annual report though they have been downgraded to Tier 3 in the 2013 report.

According to experts that have been watching the global human trafficking closely over the years claim that China had been on the report’s watch list for the past decade. The country has been found to have neglected the issue of children, women and men thrown in sex trafficking and forced labor. The country has also been dubbed a destination, transit and source for human trafficking. Russia on the other hand, remains under the watch for labor trafficking where as many as 1 million people are forced to exist in extremely poor living conditions, face physical abuse, are refused payments for their services and are forced into labor when traffickers withhold their documents.

Secretary_Kerry_Releases_the_2013_Trafficking_in_Persons_Report

In the US as well as within the international community, the TIP Report has been seen as a powerful tool that targets the most vulnerable populations of the world and allows anti-trafficking activists and government reformers in creating a more sustained and targeted effort in liberating men, women and children from the bane of living in human condition. Human rights watch groups and anti-slavery and anti-human trafficking groups hope that the downgrading would force these countries to rethink their policies and prosecute criminals by creating and enforcing laws against human trafficking and slavery.

Today's Top Articles:

Scroll to Top