​Undocumented victims of human trafficking allowed to stay in the U.S

Undocumented immigrants who are victims of human trafficking can  stay legally in the United States, an official of the U.S department of states, Steve Wagner, has said.

Wagner who is the acting Secretary, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S Department of Health and Human Services, spoke with reporters at the Foreign Press Centre in Washington.

Providing an overview of the role of the of the U.S department of Health and Human Services in combating both sex and labour trafficking, Wagner stated that there is a category of visa known as ‘T’–visa, which allows for continued presence of trafficking victims brought into the U.S illegally.

“Our job is to help restore them by getting them back to the place where they can function as healthy adults and children.  Rather than being deported, victims should have the opportunity, ideally to rebuild their lives and access the care they need,” he said.

He added that the U.S government has granted 13, 856 T- visas out of 18, 917 applications.  Wagner explained that trafficking has nothing to do with movement of people but with exploitation and coercion as it relates to commercial sex and labour exploitation.

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Citing the Federal law in the United States which defines anyone under 18 who engages in commercial sex as a victim, the diplomat revealed that the vast majority of people trafficked in the U.S are kids who are U.S citizens. He added that labour trafficking on the other hand has involved foreign victims who work mostly in the hospitality industry such as hotels, massage parlous, farms and nurseries.

He said: “The major challenge with foreign victims is that they get hidden in ethnic communities and get trapped in debt bondage while working to make more money in order to pay their smugglers”.  trying to pay their smugglers.”

Speaking on how the U.S combats human trafficking, he disclosed that the ACF leads works with local coalitions pushing community reforms and also giving grants to non-governmental organizations working with victims of human trafficking.

“We believe victims of human trafficking are being encountered routinely by doctors and nurses in emergency rooms and if we train our medical personnel to identify victims, then we can find hopefully many more victims,” he said.

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