“I did not come to the United States to be a prostitute.  I came to find a better future for my family.  No woman or child would want to be a sex slave and endure the evils that I have gone through.”– a victim of human trafficking in the United States

Most people are aware of drugs or weapons trafficking.  But “human trafficking” is a new term for many.  Every year, more than 800,000 people – mainly women and children – are trafficked across international borders.

Victims of human trafficking usually end up in the sex trade or forced labor.  The U.S. Department of State estimates 14,500 to 17,500 trafficking victims cross over U.S. borders every year.  Most victims are from Southern Asia, Latin America and other regions where poverty breeds desperation.  Many are smuggled across the borders; others are exploited once they arrive.

Partnering with the U.S. Government and other agencies, World Relief established the Network of Emergency Trafficking Services (NETS) in five key cities in the southeastern United States.

NETS operates in Tampa, Jacksonville, High Point, and Nashville, identifying trafficking victims and helping them with comprehensive services that include emergency housing, food, clothing, medical care, trauma counseling, legal assistance, and job training.

With more than 25 years’ experience helping refugees in the United States, World Relief has the networks and expertise to help those who’ve been smuggled into the country and exploited horribly…women like this trafficking victim: “I was transported to Florida, and one of the bosses told me I would be working in a brothel as a prostitute. I told him he was mistaken and that I was going to be working in a restaurant. He said I owed him a smuggling debt, and the sooner I paid it off the sooner I could leave. I was constantly guarded and abused. If any of the girls refused to be with a customer, we were beaten. If we adamantly refused, the bosses would show us a lesson by raping us brutally. We worked six days a week, 12 hours a day. Our bodies were sore and swollen. If anyone became pregnant we were forced to have abortions. The cost of the abortion was added to the smuggling debt. I was enslaved for several months; other women were enslaved for up to a year.  Our enslavement finally ended when law enforcement raided the brothels and rescued us.”

Around the world, World Relief works through FAAST International, a network of faith-based organizations combatting trafficking.  In Sierra Leone, we educate communities, advocate for long-term reform, and ensure victims of trafficking receive the care they need.

Do you know a victim of human trafficking? You can begin helping him or her by calling the toll-free Trafficking in Persons Hotline: 1-888- 373-7888.