Improving Protection and Services for Trafficking Victims in the United States: Recommendations Based on the United Kingdom\u27s Modern Slavery Act 2015

Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery that occurs both internationally and within national borders. It is a multibillion-dollar criminal industry, and millions of men, women, and children have been victims of this heinous and unconscionable crime.2 Fortunately, the problem of human trafficking has finally started to receive the attention it deserves. Over the past two decades, a plethora of anti-trafficking laws have been passed at both international and domestic levels. The United States specifically has been a leader in the promulgation of anti-trafficking laws that have served as models for other nations of the world. These federal laws, however, do not adequately address victim treatment and protection services. Minors remain particularly vulnerable. For example, minors in the United States may be prosecuted for crimes they were forced to commit by their traffickers. Although many national anti-trafficking frameworks are based on the U.S. model, the United Kingdom has substantially different laws. The United States should look to the laws of the United Kingdom and incorporate those provisions that would provide better protection for human trafficking victims