• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Study: Nearly 30 million people live as slaves worldwide

Ben K.

DP Veteran
Joined
May 2, 2010
Messages
4,717
Reaction score
1,981
Location
Dublin, Ireland
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Undisclosed
Nearly 30 million people around the world are living as slaves, according to a new index ranking 162 countries.
The Global Slavery Index 2013 says India has the highest number of people living in conditions of slavery at 14 million.
But Mauritania has the highest proportional figure with about 4% of its population enslaved.
The report's authors hope it will help governments tackle what they call a "hidden crime".

[h=2]Estimated number of slaves[/h]
  1. India - 13,956,010
  2. China - 2,949,243
  3. Pakistan - 2,127,132
  4. Nigeria - 701,032
  5. Ethiopia - 651,110
  6. Russia - 516,217
  7. Thailand - 472,811
  8. DR Congo - 462,327
  9. Burma - 384,037
  10. Bangladesh - 343,192

[h=2]Proportional ranking[/h]
  1. Mauritania
  2. Haiti
  3. Pakistan
  4. India
  5. Nepal
  6. Moldova
  7. Benin
  8. Ivory Coast
  9. The Gambia
  10. Gabon

BBC News - New global index exposes 'modern slavery' worldwide


Well that's a disgusting amount of people.
 
My wife would probably count herself as one of those 30 million:2razz:


But in all seriousness thats horrible.
 
Does this include traffic'd sex slaves? They are often not tied to a single country and move around. Sometimes they're moved to the US.

Sometimes we realize how far we haven't come from our barbarous history. We should be doing better than this.
 
And yet, white people in America are painted as the face of slave owners. And none of us have ever owned a slave, known a slave, or known anyone who ever owned a slave.
 
And yet, white people in America are painted as the face of slave owners. And none of us have ever owned a slave, known a slave, or known anyone who ever owned a slave.

its been a tough journey for us white people.
 
Does this include traffic'd sex slaves? They are often not tied to a single country and move around. Sometimes they're moved to the US.

Sometimes we realize how far we haven't come from our barbarous history. We should be doing better than this.

It says ~60k slaves in US, so it might be including that. No idea though how they determine that. Since Hillary commented on this "crime" already, i assume when she's prez she'll take steps to end this (yeah right)
 
The latest wave of human trafficking victims in Florida aren’t being found in hidden brothels.

Instead, many of those caught in what has been called the modern day slave trade can be found in Southwest Florida out in the open - working in hotels and hospitals.

“We’re seeing more labor cases in the hotel area,” said Ana Rodriguez, president of the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking. “We have major cases in the (Florida) Panhandle that are connected to the Naples area.”

And according to Rodriguez, the majority of those victims entered the United States legally.

“We’re seeing that a lot,” said Rodriguez on Wednesday during The Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce’s Wake Up Naples event at the Naples Hilton. “They get a J-1 visa (a training/ student visa) or an H-2 visa (a temporary work visa).”

The promise of high paying jobs, with $15 to $25 an hour salaries along with the allure of no room and board fees, is what hooks the victims. Once hooked, the victims are brought into the U.S. by employment agencies, many run by U.S. citizens, subcontracted by hotels and hospitals for cheap labor.

But when they get here the reality is much different.

The job seekers end up with debt, most of it trumped up fees by the trafficker, and find themselves unwitting recruits of the slave trade.

“They have 20 people living in two-bedroom apartments,” said Rodriguez. “We have copies of paychecks for $0. The highest (paycheck) we have is $43. The rest is deducted for so called loans and so called fees.”

Those who are rescued are given the opportunity to stay legally in the U.S., and enter the witness protection program, said Rodriguez, which facilitates in prosecuting the traffickers.

Rodriguez also urged Chamber members to “look beyond the surface” and dismiss the notion that human trafficking is only an ailment of foreign nationals.

“It does happen to U.S. citizens,” Rodriguez said, citing a recent case where an American 16-year-old was kidnapped, gang raped, drugged and later left for dead in what law enforcement concluded was human trafficking gone bad.

Modern day slaves work among us » Naples Daily News

The following is a list of known Florida farm labor slavery cases, 1997
-2008:

U.S vs. Flores
In 1997, Miguel Flores and Sebastian Gomez were sentenced to 15 years each in federal prison on slavery, extortion, and firearms charges, amongst others. Flores and Gomezhad a workforce of over 400 men and women in Florida and South Carolina, harvesting vegetables and citrus. The workers, mostly indigenous Mexicans and Guatemalans, were forced to work 10-12 hour days, 6 days per week, for as little as $20 per week, under the constant watch of armed guards. Those who attempted escape were assaulted, pistol-whipped, and even shot. The case was brought to federal authorities after five years of investigation by escaped workers and CIW members.

U.S. vs. Cuello
In 1999, Abel Cuello was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison on slavery charges.He had held more than 30 tomato pickers in two trailers in the isolated swampland west of Immokalee, keeping them under constant watch. Three workers escaped the camp, only to have their boss track them down a few weeks later. The employer ran one of them down with his car, stating that he owned them. The workers sought help from the CIW and the police, and the CIW worked with the DOJ on the ensuing investigation. Cuello worked for Manley Farms North Inc., a major Bonita Springs tomato supplier. Onceout of prison, Cuello supplied labor to Ag-Mart Farms, a tomato company operating in Florida and North Carolina.

U.S. vs. Tecum
In 2001, Jose Tecum was sentenced to 9 years in federal prison on slavery and kidnapping charges. He forced a young woman to work against her will both in the tomato fields around Immokalee, and in his home. The CIW assisted the DOJ with the prosecution, including victim and witness assistance.

U.S. vs. Lee
In 2001, Michael Lee was sentenced to 4 years in federal prison and 3 years supervised release on a slavery conspiracy charge. He pled guilty to using crack cocaine, threats, and violence to enslave his workers. Lee held his workers in forced labor, recruiting homeless U.S. citizens for his operation, creating a “companystore” debt through loans for rent, food, cigarettes, and cocaine. He abducted and beat one of his workers to prevent him from leaving his employ. Lee harvested for orange growers in the Fort Pierce, FL area.

U.S. vs. Ramos

In 2004, Ramiro and Juan Ramos were sentenced to 15 years each in federal prison on slavery and firearms charges, and the forfeiture of over $3 million in assets. The men, who had a workforce of over 700 farmworkers in the citrus groves of Florida, as well as the fields of North Carolina, threatened workers with
death if they were to try to leave, and pistol-whipped and assaulted at gunpoint passenger van service drivers who gave rides to farmworkers leaving the area. The case was brought to trial by the DOJ after two years of investigation by the CIW. The Ramoses harvested for Consolidated Citrus and Lykes Brothers, among others


U.S. vs. Ronald Evans
In 2007, Florida employer Ron Evans was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison on drug conspiracy, financial re-
structuring, and witness tampering charges, among others. Jequita Evans was also sentenced to 20 years, and Ron Evans Jr. to 10 years. Operating in Florida and North Carolina, Ron Evans recruited homeless U.S. citizens from shelters across the Southeast, including New Orleans, Tampa, and Miami, with promises of good jobs and housing. At Palatka, FL and Newton Grove, NC area labor camps, the Evans' deducted rent, food, crack cocaine and alcohol from workers' pay, holding them “perpetually indebted” in what the DOJ called “a form of servitude morally and legally reprehensible.” The Palatka labor camp was surrounded by a chain link fence topped with barbed wire, with a No Trespassing sign. The CIW and a Miami-based homeless outreach organization began the investigation and reported the case to federal authorities in 2003. In Florida, Ron Evans worked for grower Frank Johns. Johns was 2004 Chairman of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, the powerful lobbying arm of the Florida agricultural industry. As of 2007, he remained the Chairman of the FFVA's Budget and Finance Committee.

U.S. vs. Navarrete

In December 2008, employers Cesar and Geovanni Navarrete were sentenced to 12 years each in federal prison on charges of conspiracy, holding workers in involuntary servitude, and peonage. They had employed dozens of tomato pickers in Florida and South Carolina. As stated in the DOJ press release on the farm bosses' conviction, “[the employers]pled guilty to beating, threatening, restraining, and locking workers in trucks to force them to work as agricultural laborers. They were accused of paying the workers minimal wages and driving the workers into debt, while simultaneously threatening physical harm if the workers left their employment before their debts had been repaid to the Navarretes." A 12/19/07 article in The Independentnewspaper (UK) describes the conditions faced by the workers in more detail: "Three Florida fruit-pickers, held captive and brutalised by their employer for more than a year, finally broke free of their bonds by punching their way through the ventilator hatch of the van in which they were imprisoned. Once outside, they dashed for freedom. When they found sanctuary one recent Sunday morning, all bore the marks of heavy beatings to the head and body. One of the pickers had a nasty, untreated knife wound on his arm. Police would learn later that another man had his hands chained behind his back every night to prevent him escaping, leaving his wrists swollen. The migrants were not only forced to work in sub-human conditions but mistreated and forced into debt. They were locked up at night and had to pay for sub-standard food. If they took a shower with a garden hose or bucket, it cost them $5."............
http://www.sfalliance.org/resources/Slaveryinthefields09.pdf
 
Last edited:
Why isn't the US on the list, I thought we were terrible here. I keep hearing about how horrific the racism and oppression is, frankly I'm amazed. Probably a cover up.
 
Why hundreds of thousands or millions?

Look at the size of our population, and the cries of oppression and racism we hear about everyday. We shouldn't have any slaves, but 60,000 scattered among 310 million people is hardly proportional to the what I see in the news. We're having marches on Washington because people feel oppressed.
 
Why isn't the US on the list, I thought we were terrible here. I keep hearing about how horrific the racism and oppression is, frankly I'm amazed. Probably a cover up.

Look at the size of our population, and the cries of oppression and racism we hear about everyday. We shouldn't have any slaves, but 60,000 scattered among 310 million people is hardly proportional to the what I see in the news. We're having marches on Washington because people feel oppressed.

I too think it's reasonable to extrapolate any criticism whatsoever to its greatest possible extreme.

For instance, you literally want to see every Democrat executed for treason.
 
I too think it's reasonable to extrapolate any criticism whatsoever to its greatest possible extreme.

For instance, you literally want to see every Democrat executed for treason.

I just might. :mrgreen:

I think I made my point.
 
Look at the size of our population, and the cries of oppression and racism we hear about everyday. We shouldn't have any slaves, but 60,000 scattered among 310 million people is hardly proportional to the what I see in the news. We're having marches on Washington because people feel oppressed.

Not to mention it's neither accepted socially, culturally or legally here. What little incidence we have here is well hidden from law and society and it perpetrators seen as the worst of the worst when caught.
 
I just might. :mrgreen:

I think I made my point.

Yes, you made your point. It's just wrong.

See, when someone says there is racial discrimination regarding employment in the United States, they aren't saying it's equivalent to slavery. You, on the other hand, seem to think they're saying that.
 
Conditions of enslavement are proportional to a country's wealth. Therefore, an American who is living in poverty and having to work two jobs to survive, would be considered well off in comparison to an Ethiopian of average wealth in his country.

However, that doesn't mean that the American is not enslaved within his own country. America's second highest income inequality in the world suggests the real truth. Look to the world's leading countries for examples of a more fair and uniform distribution of wealth and where poverty has been eliminated. Hence, slavery to the system doesn't exist.
 
Look at the size of our population, and the cries of oppression and racism we hear about everyday. We shouldn't have any slaves, but 60,000 scattered among 310 million people is hardly proportional to the what I see in the news. We're having marches on Washington because people feel oppressed.

My guess is that racism isn't a prerequisite to slavery.
 
Back
Top Bottom