Forced MigrationRefugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally Displaced and Victims of Human trafficking

Why did you come to the U.S.?

• Pull Factors– “Streets Paved With Gold”– Education– Medical Care– Family/love interest– Living Conditions/Stability– Climate– Freedom

Why did you come to the U.S.?

• Push Factors– Natural Disaster– War– Famine– Overcrowding– Persecution

UNHCR estimates 43.3 million forcibly displaced people worldwide

Ship of the Damned – S.S. St Louis 1939

Nearly 1,000 Jewish refugee fled Nazi Germany aboard the S.S. St. Louis headed for Cuba.

Cuba and, ultimately, the U.S. refused to allow them to land.

About 250 of the passengers later died in the holocaust.

Forced Migration - Refugees• After WWII, more than 6 million people were displaced• 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees • Individual living outside country of origin who is unable

or unwilling to return due to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

• Countries may not forcibly return refugees to danger or discrimination

There are 15.2 million refugees today

Refugees in Florida – The Lost Boys of Sudan

Burma (Myanmar) to Thailand to Florida

Bhutan to Nepal to Florida

Cuban Refugees …..since 1959

Most are not technically refugees under international law . Why?

Asylum Seekers

• Escape home country and seek asylum

• U.S. legal terminology – others call them refugees

• U.S. FFY2009 Grants 22,119

• 12,000 Affirmative/10,000 DefensiveChina 25%

Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq, Morocco, Colombia, Venezuela, Iran, Nepal, Russia

Internally Displaced Persons

• Remain in their own country

• Involuntary movement – war, disaster, or human rights violations

• Key Difference – Theoretically still have protection of their government

26 Million IDP’s

Colombia

45 million people

3-5 million IDPs

Democratic Republic of the Congo

68 million people

2 million IDPs

Per Capita GDP $171

Human Trafficking – Modern Day Slavery

In the U.S.: In the U.S.: 14,500-17,500 14,500-17,500

annuallyannually

80% are women 80% are women and childrenand children

Profits from human trafficking and forced labor reach $36 billion

U.S. Law – Trafficking Victims Protection Act

• (A) sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act (A) sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by is induced by force, fraud, or coercionforce, fraud, or coercion, or in , or in which the person induced to perform such act which the person induced to perform such act has not attained has not attained 18 years of age18 years of age; or ; or

• (B) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, (B) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.bondage, or slavery.

Labor Trafficking

• Forced Labor

• Forced Child Labor

• Debt Bondage

• Involuntary Servitude

• Child Soldiers

Labor Trafficking in Florida• Agriculture Industry

– Immokalee– Gainesville– Palatka

• Staffing Company

• Restaurants

• Hotels

Sex Trafficking• TVPA requires force, fraud, coercion.• Most victims told they were going to work

in legitimate jobs.• Kept in prostitution by force, fear of

violence to self or family• Most victims are women, many are minors• Immigrants are particularly vulnerable

Human Trafficking has been found throughout Florida – including hotels in the Panhandle and Tallahassee neighborhoods.

Child Trafficking – How does this happen?

• Family wanting “better life” for child

• Stolen

• Sold by destitute families

• Seeking legitimate work and defrauded

Since Florida implemented a child trafficking code, the first in the U.S., for the Florida Abuse Hotline, there have been more than 100 investigations involving more than 130 children.

Questions?