Each year, millions of vulnerable people around the world are subjected to human trafficking and forced servitude. Trafficking victims are found in sweatshops, in agriculture fields and grow houses, in commercial fishing fleets, in the hospitality and personal services sector, in domestic care, and in prostitution and adult entertainment. They are in our communities living both under the radar and in broad daylight. While most victims of trafficking are children and young people, the elderly are also vulnerable to becoming trafficking victims, especially in forced labor settings. We will discuss instances in which elderly people are made vulnerable by human traffickers and what can be done to protect our aging populations from the most dehumanizing forms of abuse and exploitation.
