At the 20th of April 2016 meeting of Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC), the Anti-Human Trafficking Working Group (AHTWG) made a report, showed a video, and led the discussion.
The United Nation’s (UN) definition of human trafficking is “the abduction, recruitment, transportation, harboring, or receipt of people by force, coercion, fraud, deception or abuse of power.” By this definition. there are 27 million people being enslaved today, more than ever before in history.
In the past, slaves cost a lot; today they cost $90 per person and are a bargain. There are laws on the books but not enforced. Some Governments and industry are part of the problem.
Two final observations: Religious orders need to make sure that they are not exploiting foreign workers and also ought not to recruit women from developing countries to care for their elderly; and if these women are refused for novitiate they ought not be turned out on the street where some have been trafficked into prostitution.
Fr. David Reid sscc (SSCC representative to JPIC)
04/21/2016