To Better Know A Country: Human Trafficking in France

by Amanda Kloer · 2009-09-30 07:00:00 UTC
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Every year, the U.S. State Department releases a Trafficking in Persons report which rates countries on their efforts to combat human trafficking.  Each week, I'll be providing a brief glance at human trafficking in one of those countries, based off the 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report, with my own (often snarky) analysis added.  This is just a snapshot of what's going on in the country.  For more information, you can check out the full text of the 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report here.

This Week's Country..... France

Basic Stats

  • Ranking: Tier 1

  • Status: Destination country for trafficking victims

  • Political Stability: Very stable, due in part to the low center of gravity maintained by Mr. Sarcozy

  • Cash Flow: According to my recent trip to Urban Outfitters, beret exports to the U.S. are up 150%.

  • Do I Think They Care?: Anti-trafficking efforts are like food and speech -- something the Americans and the Brits just mess up.

Who Are the Victims and What Are They Doing?

  • Women: Commercial sex

  • Men: Forced labor

  • Girls: Domestic servitude, commercial sex

Where Are They Coming From and Where Are They Going?

  • Victims are trafficked from Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Malaysia, China, the Caribbean, other parts of Africa, and East Asia to France.

What's Gotta Happen?

  • Collect and compile law enforcement data on human trafficking.

  • Establish procedures for victim identification and referral.

  • Ensure victims who testify against traffickers are safe.

  • Follow-up on trafficking cases in French Guiana.

What Can I Do

  • You can support ECPAT-France, an organization which works to end child sexual exploitation and trafficking in France and around the world.

In summary, France is doing pretty well in the fight against human trafficking. I know this will be hard to the French to accept, since they detest self-congratulations or national pride of any kind, but I urge them to set that famous French modesty aside and enjoy their success. They still have a lot of work to do, however, as France remains an attractive place for migrants and traffickers alike, both for labor industries and commercial sex industries.  I will happily offer France my suggestions on how to improve their anti-trafficking policies, and remind them that I am at my most humanitarian and creative while sipping on just about any premier cru Bordeaux from 1982, 1990, or 2000.  Chateau Latour especially helps me write sound anti-trafficking policies. But really, I'm not picky.

Amanda Kloer is a Change.org Editor and has been a full-time abolitionist in several capacities for seven years. Follow her on Twitter @endhumantraffic
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