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Human Trafficking

Modern Slavery: Its Root Causes and the Human Toll

Slavery, long banned and universally condemned, persists in many corners of the world, victimizing tens of millions of people.

Ahmad Masood/Reuters

By experts and staff

Published

By

  • Eleanor Albert
    Online Writer/Editor
  • Vijai Singh

Slavery dates back to ancient times and has left its trace across cultures and continents. Though slavery is now universally prohibited, with protections for individual rights enshrined in national and international laws, it persists.

Slavery exists any time a person has been recruited, transported, or compelled to work by “force, fraud, or coercion,” according to the U.S. State Department. Victims do not have the means to leave of their own will. Slavery today most often occurs in industries that are labor intensive, low skilled, and underregulated.