How could trafficking effect business travellers like me?
Business travel and tourism are not responsible for trafficking for sexual exploitation, but the presence of foreigners in large numbers does create the opportunity for organised criminals to try to capitalise on the influx of money that business travellers bring. One way they do this is to traffic women and children for travellers to use as prostitutes.
Men who travel abroad may consider buying sexual services from a woman, man or child when they would never have considered it in their own country. The fear of HIV/AIDS has lead to a search for virgins for men to have sex with. This has caused a great increase in the numbers of children being trafficked.
Business travellers are one of the targets that traffickers are aiming at when they deceive or force young women and children in to becoming sex slaves. Perhaps some men from the west may come from countries where prostitution is legal and they might assume that commercial sex workers they encounter are accorded the same protection and rights that sex workers have in their home country. Nothing could be further from the truth.
When you travel as a business person you may encounter women and children who have been trafficked. There may be links between your hotel and this criminal activity. It may be part of the culture of doing business in the country you are visiting that men are offered sexual services as part of business entertainment. It may be that others you meet who are based longer term in the country you are visiting are involved in trafficking, buy women or regularly visit brothels known to hold trafficked women. Not only should you avoid getting involved, but you should report any activity either to the local authorities or, if that is difficult, to us via our web site so we can take up the matter with the appropriate authorities.
- What penalties are there for those who are involved with the victims of trafficking?
The penalties for being involved with trafficking vary from country to country, but they are becoming increasingly severe. Whether you are liable to prosecution under your host country’s laws or under the laws of the country you live in, it is better not to get involved with trafficking. Many countries now make it a crime to seek sex with a minor abroad.
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