human trafficking
human trafficking — noun
1. the criminal act of taking away a person's freedom and compelling them into unpa
the criminal act of taking away a person's freedom and compelling them into unpaid labour, usually in dangerous or unfair conditions, sometimes in the sex industry
The United Nations report states that human trafficking affects millions of women and children each year.
collocation: victim of / fight against human trafficking
Police in Bangkok rescued twelve teenagers who had been tricked into leaving their villages and then sold to factory owners.
passive construction: be tricked / sold into human trafficking
After working abroad without pay for two years, Fatima learned she was a trafficking victim.
Human trafficking victims like Hoa are locked in factories and forced to work eighteen-hour days without any pay.
The charity runs a hotline that victims of human trafficking can call to ask for help in their own language.
- modern slavery
a broader term that includes human trafficking but also covers other forms of forced labour such as debt bondage
- forced labour
focuses specifically on the work aspect; not all forced labour involves being moved across borders
文法句型
human trafficking + verb (singular)
be a victim of human trafficking
用法筆記
Human trafficking is always a crime — do not confuse it with people smuggling, where the person being moved has agreed to pay for help crossing a border. Frequently used as an uncountable noun: 'a case of human trafficking', 'laws against human trafficking'.
常見錯誤
2. a large-scale criminal business that treats people as goods to be bought, moved,
a large-scale criminal business that treats people as goods to be bought, moved, and controlled for profit, using methods such as threats, lies, or violence to keep them in a state of exploitation
The trial revealed how a human trafficking network had operated across three continents for more than a decade.
collocation: human trafficking network / ring / operation
Interpol and local police shut down a human trafficking organisation that had kidnapped over two hundred people.
A human trafficking ring bought women from poor villages and sold them to brothels abroad.
An undercover agent spent six months gathering evidence inside a criminal group specialising in human trafficking.
The UN special report describes human trafficking as one of the fastest-growing illegal industries in the world.
- trafficking in persons
a more formal legal term used in international law and UN documents; less common in everyday speech
文法句型
human trafficking + noun (as modifier)
用法筆記
This sense emphasises the organised, business-like nature of the crime. Common in news reports and legal documents about cross-border criminal networks. Often appears in compounds such as 'human trafficking ring', 'human trafficking syndicate', or 'human trafficking network'.