Asheville – Buncombe County, along with many other local governments and following the president’s lead, proclaimed January 2023 to be Human Trafficking Awareness Month. The document states, “Buncombe County… encourages people to raise awareness, promote education, and support initiatives to address human trafficking.” While the people behind the proclamation and its presentation surely have good and brave hearts, the formalities didn’t seem to be raising any awareness. In fact, they jogged a memory of somebody saying that when people don’t speak in terms of nuts and bolts, they don’t care about sharing understanding with the audience.
Then again, certain details were surely withheld to protect victims. Nobody was going to say, “We have safe houses at these addresses, and these are the names of the clients.” Here’s the playbook for outsmarting traffickers and running away.”
So, the Tribune reached out to Buncombe County Chair Brownie Newman. As the nucleus of county government and the signer of the proclamation, it seemed he might at least know who had some awareness to share. Those giving the presentation did speak somewhat about human trafficking in general, and, yes, everybody in their right mind knows coercion is the definition of wrong; the universal revulsion at the thought of slavery is why the county’s discussions about reparations get so much traction. But to gain awareness, it seemed one would want a sense of how many people, locals and tourists, are known to have been trafficked in Buncombe, how many are believed to be held in captivity, what vulnerabilities do traffickers find attractive, what are signs that a trafficker may be grooming somebody, etc.
Newman replied, somewhat ironically, “This is really not a topic area I know a lot about. I’m not sure where may be the best place to get started. Sorry to not be more helpful on this question.”
Falling back on the Google machine, it was easy enough to find information on how to protect oneself and one’s friends. The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) lists vulnerable populations as the usual victims. They typically come from marginalized groups, which may mean they are low-income, are social outcasts for their differences, have inadequacies in their social network, or just lack confidence. Traffickers leverage these weaknesses by promising to make them whole. The recruits are so desperate that they put up with the complete opposite when the trafficker provides it. It is well known that victims are used in vice operations, where Joe the Plumber will never see them, so the DEA stresses that victims are also given jobs in, for example, agriculture, construction, healthcare, beauty spas, restaurants, and hotels.
Signs that an employer or loved one may be a trafficker include any of the following: They come on too strong and promise the world for free. They expect the target has never been told that when one is told, “It’s now or never, take it or leave it,” leave it. They can’t answer simple questions about terms of employment, corporate credentials, or even where the recruit will be working. They hover over their target and sever their contacts with friends and family. They create a culture of fear and keep their victim on a proverbial tight leash. They’re a jealous, vindictive, verbally, emotionally, and/or physically abusive control freak. They ask their victim to do things that sear their conscience.
The DEA takes phone calls 24/7 at 888-373-7888. Persons may also text BeFree (233733) or chat live at humantraffickinghotline.org. These contacts serve over 200 languages, and options are available for the deaf as well.
The National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) gives a sampling of signs that somebody may be a victim. These include letting somebody accompanying them answer questions for them; showing symptoms of being emotionally controlled, like anxiety, depression, substance abuse, suicidal tendencies, PTSD, or memory loss; not having control of their ID cards or papers; having very few personal possessions; lacking the freedom to leave their home or place of work; not knowing the date or where they are; showing symptoms of physical abuse; seeming “numb or detached;” being isolated from friends and family; and experiencing negative emotions like shame, guilt, helplessness, and humiliation.
Returning to the county’s proclamation for clues about human trafficking in the local context, it was seen that presenter Commissioner Amanda Edwards did correctly read, “Buncombe County enjoys the benefits of being a global tourism destination, but we also incur increased risks of human trafficking due to the tourism industry and disposable income associated.”
If not helpful for the stated purpose of raising awareness in the community, the proclamation does provide helpful information for victims. For example, it states that organizations partnering in its Rapid Response Team for preventing human trafficking are the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the Buncombe County Department of Health and Human Services, the District Attorney’s Office, the Asheville Police Department, Mission Hospital, Our VOICE, Pisgah Legal Services, Mountain Child Advocacy, and The Hundred Movement. So, all a victim needs to do is run to the hospital or flag down a police car, explain their situation, and convince the rank-and-file employee that somebody in their organization will know how to help. Swifter impact might, however, be achieved by going straight to the Buncombe County Family Justice Center at 35 Woodfin Street.
Our VOICE, serving Buncombe County, tells victims to get to a safe place, contact somebody they trust, and then call their hotline, 828-225-7576. Our VOICE will then provide case management to connect the person to services. The Hundred Movement, based in Skyland, performs similar services. Their number is 828-782-0065, but it is not billed as operating 24/7. The main difference between the organizations seems to be the home page for Our VOICE emphasizes the belief of that group’s members that abortion is essential healthcare, while that of The Hundred Movement speaks of “the church” as an essential link in sustainable recovery. Mountain Child Advocacy, as the name implies, provides care specifically for children.
To date, the most credible estimate of the extent of human trafficking appears to be research published in 2017 by the International Labour Organization (ILO) entitled, “Global Estimates of Modern Slavery.” Using statistics from 2016, the report estimated 40.3 million people were victims, worldwide, with 15.4 million of the total being persons in forced marriages and 8 million supplying slave labor because of debt they incurred.