WA: Trafficking Survivor Story Highlights National Problem

In recent years human trafficking (slavery) has been getting greater attention among local and national decision makers. In December 2005 a teenage girl from Morocco was discovered in Seattle in a state of virtual slavery. After originally coming to this country to study dentistry, she had been forced to work for four years without pay for her aunt and uncle. In addition to physical abuse from her uncle, the girl was forced to work up to fourteen hours at the family's espresso stand. She reported that her uncle confiscated her tips, an estimated $5,000. This was all under the threat of reporting her for being in the country without documentation.

In late December, Congress re-authorized the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, allocating approximately $180 million each year through 2007 for pilot programs for legislation focused on strengthening law enforcement and prosecution--despite calls from advocates to better meet the needs of survivors through providing services.

"Victims need services," said Florrie Burke, Senior Director of International Programs at the New York based Safe Horizon.  "And not just to make them good witnesses, but because they're human beings, and they've had their human rights violated."

 This newsbrief is based on articles from The New Standard, "Slavery Slips Through Cracks in U.S. Policy", July 5th 2005 and The Olympian "FBI: Couple kept niece as slave" December 17th, 2005

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