There are two main anti-trafficking strategies used around the world. The first is prevention through education and awareness, and the second is rescue. The downside to the rescue strategy is that the damage has already been done, and rehabilitation is extremely difficult. To fight human trafficking, Love Justice sits right in the middle of these two strategies—using a method we call "transit monitoring."
Transit monitoring focuses on identifying and assisting potential victims of trafficking as they're being trafficked but before they reach the destination where they may be in danger of being exploited and enslaved. We “intercept” someone when we have good reason to believe that they are in the process of being trafficked or at high risk of being trafficked.
Questioning protocol
To ensure we investigate each possible intercept thoroughly, we have developed a questioning protocol that includes a list of visual red flags we look for to identify a suspected victim as well as a line of questioning designed to determine if trafficking is taking place. Each staff member is trained to identify, question, and assist potential victims.
When we encounter a situation where we are strongly convinced trafficking is taking place, there are several options we have to ensure the victim is returned to safety.
Often times, we are able to contact the potential victim's parents or family members, who are completely unaware that their child/relative has been deceived and placed in a very dangerous situation. When we are speaking with parents, they often insist that we do not allow their child to go anywhere with the suspected trafficker, and if the child is a minor, the parents have the authority to make that decision.
Returned to safety
To make sure that potential victims are returning to a safe environment, we do an assessment of their home situations. Then, we send them home only if they have a safe place to go to and there is no reason to believe that their families were knowingly involved in the suspected trafficking situations. If there are suspicions that this isn’t the case, the potential victims will stay at one of our local shelters, and if needed, in rare instances, we partner with a longer-term aftercare organization that can provide further assistance.
In cases where there is no family to contact for a potential victim, we can involve the police, who have the legal authority to stop individuals from traveling. Our hope, however, is to convince potential victims that they are being trafficked so that they make their own decision not to continue on.
We will also involve local law enforcement when a suspected trafficker is present or there is clear evidence that trafficking is taking place. We work in cooperation with local authorities to make sure that traffickers are stopped and victims are returned safely home.
Educated on the dangers of trafficking
Since we intervene before potential exploitation occurs, the victims are generally not in need of extensive counseling or care but simply a thorough understanding and awareness about human trafficking and safe migration. We do our best to thoroughly educate them about the dangers of trafficking, and we rarely intercept the same person twice.
This vital work would not be possible without the dedication and faithfulness of our partners. We are so deeply grateful for you. If you are not yet a partner, we invite you to learn more about our work and how you can join us in saving these beautiful lives, created in the image of God, from the devastation of this horrendous crime.
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