Originally published CBP Observes National Human Trafficking Prevention Month on by https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/border-security/cbp-observes-national-human-trafficking-prevention-month/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cbp-observes-national-human-trafficking-prevention-month at Homeland Security
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) participated in National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, also known as Wear Blue Day, Jan. 11 to observe National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, symbolizing the collective action of more than 60,000 CBP employees who support the fight against this crime.
“National Human Trafficking Prevention Month is an opportunity to raise awareness for victims of human trafficking and to shine a light on the work we do every day to combat it,” said Pete Flores, CBP Senior Official Performing the Duties of Commissioner. “Each day, CBP continues to crack down on criminal organizations that participate in human trafficking. CBP aims to strengthen its commitment throughout the agency–including U.S. Border Patrol, Air and Marine Operations, Office of Field Operations, and the Office of Trade–to prevent this exploitation before it occurs.”
With nearly 42,000 frontline officers and agents who protect nearly 7,000 miles of land border and more than 320 ports of entry, CBP plays a key role in combatting human trafficking. CBP staff identify potential victims as they enter the U.S., directing them to agencies that provide legal protection and assistance. CBP also partners with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation on the Blue Lightning Initiative, which trains airline personnel to identify human traffickers and their victims. These efforts, as well as CBP’s efforts over the years to raise awareness of this crime through public service announcements, bring results. The number of persons prosecuted for human trafficking more than doubled from 2012 to 2022, and the number of persons convicted for a human trafficking offense nearly doubled in the same period.
Additionally, CBP’s Office of Trade identifies imports suspected of being made with forced labor and requires companies to address violations before their products can enter the country, improving conditions for thousands of workers worldwide. Since 2022 when CBP began implementing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which prohibits goods produced in the Xinjiang region of China, CBP has denied nearly 5,000 shipments due to the suspected use of forced labor. Most recently, DHS announced the addition of 37 entities to the UFLPA Entity List, marking the largest single expansion of the list to date. More information on CBP’s efforts to combat human trafficking and forced labor can be found on the agency’s Human Trafficking webpage and in a Frontline Magazine article titled “Breaking Unseen Chains.”
CBP invites the public to help fight human trafficking in the following ways:
- Learn indicators of human trafficking and report suspicious activity. Visit Blue Campaign | Homeland Security to learn about indicators of human trafficking and how to respond to possible cases. If you see signs of forced labor, submit allegations through CBP’s Trade Violation Reporting Portal, or by calling 1-800-BE-ALERT.
- Make informed purchases. Buy from retailers who can tell you how they identify and prevent forced labor in their supply chains and avoid buying goods known to be linked to forced labor.
- Educate friends and family about CBP’s efforts to combat human trafficking and forced labor. Visit our Human Trafficking page on CBP.gov for an overview and check out CBP’s Forced Labor Video Series.
The original announcement can be found here.
The post CBP Observes National Human Trafficking Prevention Month appeared first on HSToday.
Originally published CBP Observes National Human Trafficking Prevention Month on by https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/border-security/cbp-observes-national-human-trafficking-prevention-month/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cbp-observes-national-human-trafficking-prevention-month at Homeland Security
Originally published Homeland Security
