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Coalitions Against Trafficking in Human Beings in the Philippines: Research and Action Final Report

NCJ Number
213707
Date Published
2003
Length
91 pages
Annotation
This final report presents a synthesis of the findings of six research projects into the problem of human trafficking in the Philippines.
Abstract
Key research findings indicate that women in the Philippines are first trafficked in their early 20s and that women from the Philippines and Japan make multiple trips abroad and stay for short periods of time. Overall, it appears that highly organized criminal groups are largely responsible for the international human trafficking trade. Key recommendations include building “sensitization programs” into training courses for immigration and law enforcement officials. Most victims reported being recruited from highly urbanized areas and major population centers. Many victims were contacted through job agencies and through other trafficked victims. Deception was involved in the recruitment of nearly all the victims in the study. Victims were generally moved in groups and were not exposed to overt danger beyond the risk of getting caught with fraudulent documentation. Korea was the top destination country, followed by Malaysia, Japan, and Nigeria. Most victims incurred a debt to the traffickers for the cost of transportation and job placement. Victims were forced to participate in a range of criminal activities, including prostitution and drug abuse Generally, the research projects focused on collecting data concerning the modus operandi of human trafficking in the Philippines, particularly the smuggling routes, recruitment practices, the use of fraudulent documents, transport methods, deception, coercion and exploitation, the involvement of organized crime groups, criminal justice responses, and victim reporting patterns. Research methods involved the survey of 77 female victims of trafficking, interviews with 34 criminal justice experts and government experts, a survey of 20 non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and an analysis of the official case files on an additional 123 victims. Research instruments were developed by the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) and included a victim survey, criminal justice and government expert questionnaire, a checklist for the analysis of case files, and an NGO survey. Footnotes, references