{"id":7939,"date":"2020-05-21T17:25:53","date_gmt":"2020-05-21T17:25:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/?p=7939"},"modified":"2025-06-10T13:53:27","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T17:53:27","slug":"five-ways-the-covid-19-coronavirus-crisis-impacts-human-trafficking-survivors-and-immigrant-communities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.safehorizon.org\/programs\/how-covid-19-coronavirus-impacts-human-trafficking-survivors","title":{"rendered":"Five Ways the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Crisis Impacts Human Trafficking Survivors and Immigrant Communities"},"content":{"rendered":"

May 21, 2020<\/em>
\nBy Rachel Searle<\/em><\/p>\n

The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic has made human trafficking survivors and immigrant communities across the United States more vulnerable to abuse and violence. At Safe Horizon\u2019s Anti-Trafficking Program (ATP)<\/a>, we are growing increasingly worried about the direct, indirect, short, and long-term effects of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) on these survivors. While our comprehensive team of attorneys and social workers are helping survivors access the resources and information they need during this difficult time, we need your help to bring awareness to this critical issue. Below are five ways COVID-19 (Coronavirus) impacts human trafficking survivors, and three things you can do to help trafficking survivors.<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Survivors are More Afraid of Traffickers<\/h2>\n

While the city\u2019s \u201cStay at Home Order\u201d keeps many safe, it can endanger victims of human trafficking. Survivors who live in close quarters with their traffickers regularly report domestic violence and other abuse. Other survivors, like *Maria, say that staying home makes it easier for their former traffickers to retaliate. In the weeks leading up to the pandemic, Maria testified against her former trafficker in federal court, which also triggered her PTSD and depression. This sustained state of fear has caused Maria to experience physical illness and impacted the well-being of her children. She is concerned that if the traffickers retaliate, first responders will be too overwhelmed with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) cases to help her.<\/p>\n

2. Survivors are Afraid to Seek Out Help<\/h2>\n

Long before the pandemic, human trafficking survivors and immigrant communities lived in a heightened state of fear due to the political climate and the rhetoric against them. Survivors hesitated in accessing support for fear that they would be reported to immigration authorities or prohibited from becoming permanent residents. The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) crisis has increased this fear. Survivors\u2019 reluctance to seek help from public systems increases their risk of enduring more abuse while quarantined with their traffickers or avoiding healthcare services entirely. For example, a survivor would not see a doctor or go to the hospital<\/a> because they worry the doctor would report them to authorities or it would be used against them.<\/p>\n

3. Survivors Can\u2019t Find Information and Resources<\/h2>\n

Human trafficking survivors who do want to reach out for help, find it difficult to find information because crisis communications are often not inclusive of all languages, literacies, and abilities. With no way of learning<\/a> about protections against COVID-19 (Coronavirus), human trafficking survivors are at danger of self-isolating with few resources \u2013 which puts their lives at risk. One of our clients named *Nadia could not find information about COVID-19 in her language, and as a result, was cut off from information and supplies. With two children who are immunocompromised, she worried that leaving the house would infect them and came close to starvation. After speaking with one of our social workers, she learned of options for delivery and how to safely leave the house.<\/p>\n

4. Survivors Become Economically Disadvantaged<\/h2>\n

Human trafficking survivors, who previously may have had a stable life, are now working at reduced hours or are being laid off due to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). If they aren\u2019t working, survivors are on the verge of being unemployed and homeless, and therefore more susceptible to being trafficked again. Labor trafficking survivor *Bertha lost her job as a home health aide due to COVID-19 and has been receiving threats of eviction from her landlord ever since. Despite the ban on evictions in New York City, she fears that no one can stop her landlord from evicting her. This fear led her to borrow rent money from a friend \u2013 an action that increases risk of trafficking.<\/p>\n

5. Survivors Face Additional Exploitation or Risk of Re-trafficking<\/h2>\n

With little economic means, trafficking survivors are at an increased risk of being re-trafficked. According to the International Organization for Migration\u2019s report on re-trafficking<\/a>, over half of the re-trafficked persons they interviewed described their economic status as poor or very poor. In addition, labor trafficking survivors can be further exploited because they don\u2019t know their rights. We created this handy graphic you can share so everyone knows their rights:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Workers<\/a><\/p>\n

All workers, regardless of immigration status, are entitled to be paid for the hours they work, paid at least minimum wage, protected by accommodations and safety measures, protected against discrimination, and paid for overtime if they are working more than 40 hours of work per week.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Three Things You Can Do to Help Human Trafficking Survivors During COVID-19 (Coronavirus)<\/h2>\n

With no certainty of when the pandemic will end, these situations for human trafficking survivors and immigrant communities are likely to continue. Now, more than ever, we need to help each other \u2013 and the good news is, we can! Here are three ways you can help human trafficking survivors during COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.<\/p>\n

1. Donate to Organizations that Support Human Trafficking Survivors<\/h2>\n

Safe Horizon\u2019s Anti-Trafficking Program is one of the largest direct service providers to victims of human trafficking on the east coast. We see survivors from over 80 countries through the most difficult times of their lives. If you can, please donate below or contribute to our Amazon Wishlist<\/a> which was created to provide specific items for our clients\u2019 current needs.<\/p>\n

Donate to Help Survivors<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n


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