U.S., Europe Tackle Diplomats as Traffickers

A few years ago, a Tanzanian man living in Maryland enslaved a girl in his home, forcing her to work for no pay in horrid conditions, including forcing her to shovel snow in her bare feet.  Was this man a war lord? A career criminal or mob boss? No.  He was a diplomat.

While it may seem shocking that diplomats can be traffickers, it is not at all uncommon.  It's usual for a diplomat or his family to bring over someone from their home country (usually female) to work (usually in the home).  However, the trafficking begins when that working situation becomes exploitative- the worker cannot leave, wages are withheld, beatings administered, sexual advances made, etc.

The U.S., France, and Belgium are all focusing on developing strategies to identify and bring to justice this particularly slippery brand of trafficker.  Why are they so difficult to hold accountable?  Diplomats enjoy something called "diplomatic immunity", which basically means they can't be sued or prosecuted while doing their jobs.  There are more complex laws regarding what under what circumstances a diplomat can be held accountable legally, but immunity makes diplomats much harder to prosecute than average citizens.  It's a great protection for diplomats doing their jobs in conflict zones, but also unfortunately for diplomats who traffic workers.            

It's an uphill battle, but there are ways to better protect diplomats' workers.  The U.S. is building a database to better track diplomats' workers, while France is working to improve victim identification in this population.  Belgium has started prosecuting diplomatic offenders.  Hopefully, the example set by these three countries will lead others to recognize that diplomat-traffickers are a real issue, and that not some traffickers will appear to upstanding citizens on the outside.  To know the truth, we must look beneath the surface. 

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