Every summer the Department of State releases its Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP), the primary tool used to engage foreign governments on the issue of human trafficking. The report ranks countries on a three-tier system based on their dedication to eradicating human trafficking and how effective their efforts are in preventing exploitation.
The Freedom Network USA submits feedback every year to be considered for the United States portion of the report. As the largest coalition of direct service providers across the country, our observations and recommendations are derived from our member’s experiences working on the ground with survivors. With members in 33 cities, we harness this geographic scope to identify current trends and challenges nationwide.
Highlights from this year include both a need to increase efforts to combat labor trafficking and adopting a broader focus on prevention efforts that tackle the root causes that create vulnerability. Current prevention efforts overwhelmingly rely on the criminal justice system. While we understand the important role our criminal justice partners play in comprehensive anti-trafficking efforts, we recommend also investing in non-traditional approaches that increase labor protections, invest in community education and take advantage of market-based interventions. To read more on our recommendations, access the letter here.