Combating Diplomatic Involvement In Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is a well-documented worldwide problem. A lesser-known issue is the trafficking by diplomats of domestic workers and servants, who are forced to work, often in brutal conditions, typically with little or no pay, or subjected to emotional, physical or sexual abuse.

Gauging the extent of the problem can be difficult. In the latest official study — already more than a decade old — the U.S. Government Accountability Office found 42 cases of alleged abuse reported in the previous eight years. Yet as most abuse is revealed only when a worker manages to escape, the real figure is likely to be much higher.

Moreover, victims of diplomatic trafficking face a distinct challenge: to have any hope of finding justice, they have to overcome the defenses of diplomatic immunity often claimed by their captors.