You might wonder what the fight against human trafficking has to do with travel. Well, the answer is, absolutely everything.
Human trafficking is a multi-million-dollar business, involving more than 21 million victims worldwide. And it often involves transporting men, women and children in and out of the U.S. on the same planes and trains that you’re traveling on.
The DOT has partnered with the Department of Homeland Security to create a training program for everyone involved in the travel process: gate agents, baggage handlers, train conductors…everyone. Airlines such as Delta and JetBlue are also training employees to see the signs of human trafficking.
And there are things you can do as a traveler:
· If you see children being checked in for a flight who seem confused or disoriented, or don’t know where they’re going, alert someone.
· Look for travel providers that follow the Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct—which is a voluntary set of business practices to fight human trafficking.
· And take a look at the Polaris Project, which operates a national hotline and has state-by-state resources.
Educate yourself and do your part to put a stop to human trafficking.
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