National Human Trafficking Awareness Day
| FBI Birmingham January 11, 2011 |
BIRMINGHAM—Tuesday, January 11, 2011, is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. It’s sad but true: people are being bought, sold, and smuggled like modern-day slaves and the problem is growing. Victims are trapped in lives of misery—often beaten, starved, and forced to work as prostitutes or to take grueling jobs as migrant, domestic, restaurant, or factory workers with little or no pay. We’re working hard to stop human trafficking—not only because of the personal and psychological toll it takes on society, but also because it facilitates the illegal movement of immigrants across borders and provides a ready source of income for organized crime groups and even terrorists.
The FBI is the lead agency for investigating violations of federal civil rights laws, and human trafficking is one of our top civil rights violation priorities. We established our Human Trafficking Initiative in 2005, and we take this international problem very seriously from both a criminal and a human perspective.
Locally, the Birmingham Division of the FBI is an active member of an Anti-Human Trafficking Task Force, headed by the United States Attorney’s Office.
We also continue to produce threat assessments to determine the nature and extent of human trafficking in our area, conduct aggressive human trafficking investigations and develop actionable intelligence for future potential cases, and build relationships with civic and community groups and non-governmental organizations that can refer cases and provide valuable insights and information.
Warning Signs of Human Trafficking
- Non-English speaking
- Signs of physical abuse
- Deprivation of food, water, sleep, or medical care
- Someone whose communications are restricted
- A large number of occupants in one residence
- Someone who is rarely seen outside their residence
- Individual not allowed to socialize or attend religious services
- Always accompanied when outside the residence
- Outside locks on doors and windows to prevent someone from leaving the residence
- No travel documents for identification, i.e., ID card, birth certificate, passport, visa, Social Security card
If you believe someone you know might be a victim, contact the FBI at (205) 326-6166, or the Department of Justice trafficking hotline at 1-888-428-7581.