To expand New York State’s commitment to supporting and protecting victims of trafficking, Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law this Wednesday a legislative package to strengthen the state’s protections against this scourge, which she defined as “a nightmare that no one should experience.” ”.
These eight new laws ensure, among other things, that information about victim services is posted in places that may serve as gateways for traffickers such as transportation hubs, including lactation rooms at commercial airports and bus stops. of New York trucks. It also expands the membership of the Interagency Task Force on Trafficking in Persons to include the Secretary of State of New York and extends that task force for four additional years to ensure that the work done to prevent, reduce and assist survivors of human trafficking continues uninterrupted.
Governor Hochul emphasized that attacking this problem is more crucial than ever because it is even something that affects new migrants. “Many times new arrivals are brought from poor countries with false promises of better jobs and benefits such as permanent residency,” she said.
Regarding the role of social networks in this crime, Hochul mentioned that not even the youngest in our communities are safe. “There are online predators hunting our children, our young people. “It is a real crisis infiltrated in many sectors of society, and although the situations vary from case to case, the only thing consistent is the profound damage it causes in the victims.”
“(Predators) use many tactics to control their victims, they have them so terrified that they cannot get out of that circle, because they have them for exploitation purposes,” he said.
“We cannot ignore human trafficking because it is something that is happening in our environment,” he said.
The role of social networks
One of the pieces of legislation in particular, S.395/A.5505, mandates that the task force investigate the connections between social media and this type of modern slavery.
This law is an important step taking into account the impact of social networks on the increase in cases of trafficking because although technology has served as a method of global connectivity, it has also given rise to deceiving vulnerable people, according to Assemblywoman Linda. Rosenthal.
“People no longer have to cross the border or travel long distances to become victims of exploitation. Now it is only necessary to press a button to traffic an individual,” said the legislator.
Rosenthal indicated that figures from the National Hotline against Human Trafficking reveal an increase in recruitment for sex trafficking of 125% through Facebook and 95% on Instagram between 2019 and 2020.
For her part, State Senator Cordell Cleare stated that these bills together “advance against human trafficking by investigating its digital roots, increasing public awareness and ensuring that vital information is accessible where it is needed most.”
She was joined by Senator Roxanne Persaud, who indicated that preventing and combating human trafficking requires a concerted effort by many state agencies.
“The bill that Governor Hochul signed provides longer authorization for these agencies to do their critical work,” Persaud said.
Funds for service providers
Another effort in the fight against human trafficking occurred recently, with the allocation of a fund of $2.3 million for 11 service providers to victims of this scourge.
Through the Response to Human Trafficking Program (RHTP), which is operated by the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), funds were awarded to Safe Horizon, Sanctuary for Families, People Against Trafficking Humans Incorporated, Restore NYC, and Catholic Charities of Long Island, among other organizations.
The CEO of Safe Horizon, Liz Roberts, welcomed the signing of this legislative package that will help bring a problem as serious as human trafficking out of the shadows and will serve to help victims find a path to recovering their lives.
“At Safe Horizon we provide legal and social services to people from all over the world,” said Roberts, adding that last year alone they were able to assist 300 survivors of this scourge.
Where can you report
- If you or someone you know is a victim of human or sex trafficking, you can report to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-888-373-7888
- You can also visit the New York State Anti-Trafficking Coalition at: https://www.endslaverynow.org/new-york-state-anti-trafficking-coalition