Atlanta Advocacy Group Applauds White House Human Trafficking Initiatives
This week while speaking in New York City, President Barack Obama announced additional initiatives in his administration to combat human trafficking.
Mr. Obama told those at the Clinton Global Initiative that he’s signed an executive order that raises the bar in addressing the crime.
That was good news for one local advocacy group.
President Obama admitted there was much more to do.
“But for all the progress we’ve made, the bitter truth is that trafficking goes on right here in the United States.”
Human trafficking is a global issue said Mr. Obama but he added the United States must strengthen its efforts in order to “spot it and then stop it.”
“It’s the migrant worker unable to pay off the debt to his trafficker. The man, lured here with the promise of a job, his documents then taken, and forced to work endless hours in a kitchen. The teenage girl, beaten, forced to walk the streets. This should not be happening in the United States of America.”
There will be a new assessment of human trafficking in the United States to better understand the scope and scale of the problem said the President.
Also, better training for law officials.
Jennifer Swain is the program manager for the Atlanta based group Youth Spark.
The group works to stop the prostitution of children.
“I was extremely happy for him to not only just acknowledge international human and labor trafficking but also to acknowledge what happens to the young women and the boys and girls that live right here in our own communities.”
Swain was also glad President Obama talked about the use of technology to track down those using the internet to buy and sell victims.
“Because that is now the virtual street and it allows for people to be more anonymous and it allows for things to go so much further underground. There has to be some type of regulation for that to be able to support law enforcement in their efforts on the ground.”
Swain says now is the time to strengthen shared efforts from advocacy groups, law enforcement to legislation that will decrease the demand for prostituted children.
“We need to make sure that they are being held accountable and that we increase the number of arrests. We need to increase that and make that visible so that they know people are looking you. You can’t hide behind your computer screen anymore. You are going to be held accountable for what you want to do in the dark.”
Youth Spark works with young girls in a prevention program and works to disable the demand for sex with minors through their A Future Not A Past campaign.
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