Modern Slavery News Round-up

Wisconsin Senate passes human trafficking bill
Wisconsin's human trafficking laws would be tightened under a bill that has passed the state Senate.The proposal would allow trafficking victims to ask a judge to vacate or expunge prostitution convictions. The judge could grant the request if he or she gives the prosecutor a chance to respond and determines society won't be harmed.

Groups fight human trafficking through awareness
Human trafficking is a $32 billion criminal industry in the US and abroad, but one group in south Louisiana is hoping to stamp it out. Trafficking Hope and the Junior League of Baton Rouge are hosting a screening of the documentary Nefarious: Merchant of Souls. It takes viewers on a journey around the globe and around the US, opening people's eyes to the world of human sex trafficking.

MI bill to crack down on human trafficking could result in land grab
Legislation aimed at cracking down on human trafficking could result in government taking more property from citizens in Michigan. At issue is a “willful blindness” clause inserted into House Bills 5230 and 5233that would allow government officials to take property from people who, while not involved with a crime, benefit by getting property as a result of some form of criminal activity.

Modern Slavery News Round-up

Kristof: Poverty a driving force in human trafficking One way to fight human trafficking in Haiti would be to provide free and accessible birth control, so that women don't end up with children that they struggle to feed. Another would be to provide free public education, so that parents don't feel that the only way to get schooling for their children is to send them off as unpaid maids. That's why what's at stake in fighting global poverty isn't just poor people's incomes. It's also dignity and freedom - and the right of a girl to grow up in something better than quasi-slavery.
Proos talks human trafficking protection bills
Michigan lawmakers will be working this year to approve more protections for victims of human trafficking. State Senator John Proos says that human trafficking in the United States usually involves forcing someone into prostitution, and he thinks it's a bigger problem in Michigan than many people might realize.
Punjab to create awareness to prevent human trafficking
Punjab government would soon launch a campaign to create awareness about the law dealing with human trafficking and exploitation of people by fraudulent travel agents.
Pair faces human trafficking charges involving teen girl
Police said a man from Arkansas and woman from Oklahoma were arrested in Baton Rouge on human trafficking of a child and other charges Sunday. Detectives reported their investigation revealed one of the suspects purchased a bus ticket for the girl to get her from Arkansas to Baton Rouge. They also reported an ad was placed on the website Backpage.com promoting sex acts she offered.
Spain grapples with human trafficking
The first European Commission report on human trafficking in Europe, published by Eurostat in April 2013, put the number of victims between 2008 and 2010 at 23,632, with the number growing by 18 percent over the three-year period. Of that total, 15 percent were children and adolescents. In 62 percent of the cases, the victims – mainly women – were trafficked for sexual exploitation, while 25 percent were trafficked for forced labour, and 14 percent were victims of other kinds of trafficking, such as organ removal. In 2010, Spain had the second-highest number of victims of human trafficking in the European Union, after Italy, according to the study.