Globally, an estimated 27.6 million people are subjected to human trafficking and forced labor on any given day,[1] which is responsible for an estimated US$236 billion in total annual illegal profits form forced labor.[2] However less than 1% of the victims are identified.[3] With only 115,324 victims identified, there are still 99.6% of the victims are still trapped by their traffickers.[4] The internet is the number one recruiting tool for victims.[5] Otherwise, victims are often recruited by a family member or caregiver (33%), an intimate partner (28%), or even an employer (22%). “Without restorative care, 80% of survivors will return to their traffickers.[6] 75% of US states do not have safe house programs specifically for trafficking survivors.”[7]
The National Human Trafficking Hotline receives calls, texts, messages, emails and other forms of communication as ways of reporting trafficking across the country.[8] From January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, they received 578 reports about human trafficking and issues related to human trafficking in Virginia.[9] The number of substantive calls to exclude hangups, wrong numbers and missed calls was 583.[10] The victims are female, male, transgender, foreign nationals, and even children (25% of those reported were minors).[11] Virginia had the 16th highest signal volume of all fifty states and Washington D.C.[12] These statistics are non-cumulative, and, in some cases, there were multiple victims involved.
Hampton Roads is considered a hotspot for trafficking due to its port, tourism, and the I-95 corridor.[13] Its port is the deepest harbor on the East Coast, and the sixth largest ‘containerized’ operation in the United States,[14] and is home to Naval Station Norfolk – the largest naval base in the world.[15] Dubbed ‘Coastal Virginia,’ Hampton Roads draws tourists from all over the world to its beaches, museums, and many colonial-era historic sites.[16] Interstate 95 is the longest north-south interstate in America.[17] It runs directly through Hampton Roads, from Miami, Florida to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and Canada.[18] It is the principle road between all major cities on the Eastern Seaboard.[19]
The first time that trafficking survivors come into contact with law enforcement officers is often as an offender, not as a victim. They are often arrested for crimes such as prostitution, weapon possession, identity theft and or drugs- usually as a direct result of being trafficked. A survey taken in 2016 found a majority of victims reported 100% of their arrests were a direct result of being trafficked.[20] In the same survey, over 50% of victims reported that they were first trafficked as minors,[21] and about 50% of victims reported having at least one criminal charge as a minor due to trafficking.[22]
Having a criminal record impacts the survivors ability to fully reintegrate into society. As of 2018 80% of employers run background checks.[23] If a criminal record is discovered, it limits earning potential by 50%.[24] There are more than 27,000 jobs that restrict employment of those who possess a criminal conviction.[25] It can also lead to removal or deportation as well as denial of visa or green card.[26] It can affect child custody or visitation, or even the survivor’s ability to care for their child.[27] In one survey, the majority of victims were denied housing—and over 70% were denied employment—because of a criminal record.[28] Victims of trafficking can be disqualified from education since 60 –80% of public institutions and 40 –50% for public institutions require criminal history questions as part of the undergrad admissions process.[29] Student loans are affected by certain drug convictions.[30] Voting rights, depending on the state, can be temporality taken away or permanently revoked.[31] Travel can be restricted or even questioned, which forces the victim to be retraumatized having to explain to someone who may not be understanding of the situation.[32]
National Survivor Study conducted a study with 457 sex and labor trafficking survivors. Of those surveyed 69% reported that their criminal record prevented them from getting or keeping a job.[33] 59% reported that they were not able to get good safe housing as a result.[34] 63% reported that they were no longer able to get education, training or a professional license.[35] 35% reported that it affected their child custody.[36]
[1] ILO, Profits and Poverty: The Economics of Forced Labor, Second Edition, GENEVA: INTERNATIONAL LABOR OFFICE, 3 (2024), https://webapps.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—ed_norm/—ipec/documents/publication/wcms_918034.pdf.
[2] Id. at 13.
[3] John Cotton Richmond, Less Than Half of 1 Percent of Human Trafficking Victims Are Identified. That Needs to Change., ATLANTIC COUNCIL (June 16, 2023), https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/less-than-half-of-1-percent-of-human-trafficking-victims-are-identified-that-needs-to-change/.
[4] Id.
[5] Polaris Analysis of 2021 Data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, POLARIS, 1 (2021), https://polarisproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Polaris-Analysis-of-2021-Data-from-the-National-Human-Trafficking-Hotline.pdf.
[6] Id.
[7] Human Trafficking Awareness Month Statistics, SAFE HOUSE PROJECT (Jan. 12), https://safehouseproject.org/blog/humantraffickingawarenessmonthstatistics.
[8] NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE, https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en (last visited Sept. 27, 2023).
[9] Virginia, NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING HOTLINE, https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en/statistics/virginia.
[10] Id.
[11] Id.
[12] Id.
[13] Ericka Harrison-Bey, Hidden in Plain Sight: Human Trafficking in Hampton Roads, Old Dominion University (Jan. 7, 2022), https://ww1.odu.edu/announcements/faculty-staff/2022/1/27/hidden_in_plain_sigh.
[14] Port of Virginia, HAMPTON ROADS ALIANCE (2023), https://hamptonroadsalliance.com/port-of-virginia/.
[15] Id.
[16] Coastal Virginia Hampton Roads, VIRGINIA IS FOR LOVERS (2024), https://www.virginia.org/places-to-visit/regions/hampton-roads/.
[17] Interstate 95, WIKIPEDIA.ORG (2022), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_95.
[18] Id.
[19] Id.
[20] Impact of Criminal Arrest and Detention on Survivors of Human Trafficking, NATIONAL SURVIVOR NETWORK, 5 (Aug. 2016), https://nationalsurvivornetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/VacateSurveyFinal.pdf.
[21] Id. at 3.
[22] Id.
[23] Criminal Record Relief for Trafficking Survivors Report, POLARIS (2024), https://polarisproject.org/criminal-record-relief-for-trafficking-survivors-report/.
[24] Id.
[25] Id.
[26] Id.
[27] Id.
[28] Impact of Criminal Arrest and Detention on Survivors of Human Trafficking, NATIONAL SURVIVOR NETWORK, 8 (Aug. 2016), https://nationalsurvivornetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/VacateSurveyFinal.pdf.
[29] Criminal Record Relief for Trafficking Survivors Report, POLARIS (2024), https://polarisproject.org/criminal-record-relief-for-trafficking-survivors-report/.
[30] Id.
[31] Id.
[32] Id.
[33] Id.
[34] Id.
[35] Id.
[36] Id.