Trafficking in Persons

Please click here for a full text of 2007 Trafficking in Persons report

Trafficking in persons is a modern-day form of slavery, involving victims who are typically forced, defrauded or coerced into sexual or labor exploitation. It is among the fastest growing criminal activities, occurring both worldwide and in individual countries. Annually, at least 600,000 - 800,000 people, mostly women and children, are trafficked across borders worldwide, including 14,500 - 17,500 persons into the United States.

People are snared into trafficking by various means. For example, physical force is used or false promises are made regarding a legitimate job or marriage in a foreign country to entrap victims into prostitution, pornography and other forms of commercial sexual exploitation or slavery-like labor conditions in factories and fields. Victims suffer physical and emotional abuse, rape, threats against self and family, passport theft, and physical restraint.

Human trafficking happens in nearly every corner of the world and the United States is committed, along with our friends and partners, to fighting this problem worldwide. Prevention of human trafficking, protection of trafficking victims, and prosecution of human trafficking facilitators are the main goals of the anti-trafficking fight.

Currently Latvia is ranked in Tier 2 of the State Department's 2007 Trafficking in Persons Report, the most comprehensive report on human trafficking around the world evaluating what governments are doing to fight it. The Government of Latvia adopted a National Program to Combat Trafficking in Persons by the order of the Cabinet of Ministers of March 3, 2004. Ministries that are assisted by local and international non-governmental organizations are currently implementing the program.

More information on the U.S. role in the fight against trafficking in persons is available at the home page of U.S. Department of State.