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Human Organ Trafficking

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Human Organ Trafficking

Trafficking of human organs such as kidneys, liver, heart, and pancreas is a continuously
growing illegal market globally. With the increase of the unfortunate patient numbers in need of
organ donation on the waiting list, the market is overgrowing (Ravi et al., 2017). Organ brokers
take advantage of patients in urgent need of organ transplants and poor people in need of money.
Notably, for a patient to be on the organ waiting list, they must be seriously in need of the organ,
and only a few patients luckily receive an organ donor. According to International Labor
Organization, human organ trafficking is long causing illegal trade for organ extraction, and it is
caused by a lack of knowledge, poverty, and unemployment. Additionally, there are effects such
as health risks, death, mental illness, and violation of human rights.

Causes

Lack of knowledge is one of the causes that lead people into paths that leave them in
exploitation and regrets. When an organ trafficker approaches an inexperienced person such as a
teenager, they easily convince them to take the human organ trafficking job offer, which seems
attractive and a great opportunity (Hopper, 2017). The traffickers also take advantage of
foreigners or immigrants in foreign countries unfamiliar with the countries' laws, language, and
rights. Notably, they trick the foreigners into participating in their illegal marketing to benefit
themselves and hide their identity.

On the same, people living in poverty and struggle to provide for families, such as single
parents, are in desperate and helpless circumstances to meeting basic family needs. When an
organ trafficker becomes familiar with their situations, they trick them into providing a job that
will resolve their difficulties (Hopper, 2017). Since this opportunity appears to be the only
option, they quickly give in because they are determined to provide for the families.
Additionally, newspapers and blogs manipulate poor people. Organ traffickers advertise on
offering a tremendous amount of money and jobs in foreign countries for anyone willing to
donate their organs.

Moreover, unemployment is another cause of human organ trafficking. Organ traffickers

target unemployed people and deceitfully convince them to leave their homes for job
opportunities in foreign countries (Hopper, 2017). The jobs sound pleasing, but when the person
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arrives at their destination, they find different circumstances from what had been described. To
hinder them from leaving or running away, the organ traffickers confiscate the victim's passports.
Again, they pay for the victims' transport, food, shelter, and clothing to make them feel entirely
obligated to work for them. 

Displacement due to natural disasters or wars is another factor that causes organ
trafficking. People, individuals, and families are separated from their communities and forced to
flee from their homes (Greenbaum et al., 2018). Most of them face financial difficulties, culture
shock, and homelessness. For instance, children who lost parents due to displacement are the
primary targets for human organ traffickers because of their helplessness. Besides, with no
homes and guardians to protect and provide basic needs, they are easily engaged in organ
trafficking.

Furthermore, in some communities' cultural practices causes human organ trafficking.

These communities accept abuse and devaluation of children and women (Greenbaum et al.,
2018). For instance, some parents will be willing to force their daughters into early marriages or
sell them for exploitation in exchange for money. Women can also decide to leave their homes if
they find themselves devalued to have new work opportunities and start their communities.
These cultural practices are deeply rooted in the minds of some women and men in various
cultures and create a significant opportunity for human organ traffickers. 

In addition, due to unsafe migration options, people who migrate from their countries
because of economic opportunities or safety are more likely to fall into the traps of human organ
traffickers. The traffickers can easily notice and trick the immigrants searching for jobs or safety
into offering them legitimate jobs, only to force them into trafficking circumstances (Greenbaum
et al., 2018). For example, when a certain foreign country is preparing for the Olympics or any
other competition, people from neighbouring countries can be promised job opportunities such as
constructing the competition grounds. However, the jobs may pay little money or treat the
individuals poorly, forcing them into circumstances of looking for other available jobs and,
unfortunately, may fall on the traps of the traffickers.

Broken families are another cause of human organ trafficking. Broken families lead to
sending people out of their homes, rejection by parents or placement in children welfare
organizations and the victims becomes very vulnerable to human organ trafficking(Greenbaum et
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al., 2018). Additionally, people who run away from their homes due to family issues and
especially youth's experiences homelessness are mainly targeted by the traffickers. When a
person feels lonely and unloved by the family, they will always want to pursue major risks to
overcome their desperation. The feeling of having nothing to lose overcomes them and may find
it comfortable to live with the traffickers who lure them to engaging into trafficking job.

Money is another cause of human organ trafficking. Trafficking of human organs is a

fast-growing illegal market followed by drug trafficking (Hopper, 2017). Due to the market's
growth, the traffickers generate billions of money every year, according to the International
Labor Organization research. Many billions are produced through organ trafficking, while the
other billions are produced through labour and sex trafficking. More importantly, the more these
traffickers engage in the ill-treatment of vulnerable individuals, the more they make income for
themselves. This motivates them to engage in more illegal organ trafficking.

Furthermore, escaping from victimization causes human organ trafficking. When a

trafficked victim ages out of the position they were holding onto, such as tricking or kidnapping
people, they are offered jobs as traffickers (Hopper, 2017). Many accept the new offer to escape
from victimization by organ traffickers and then start ill-treating others. Due to this process,
human organ trafficking continues to grow fast around the globe. This illegal act's consequences
are far-reaching and affect all individuals who knowingly and unknowingly participate in society
and the generation to come after. However, there is possible for change if survivors can be
rescued and the arrest of their victimizers is carried out.

Effects

Organ trafficking has adverse effects on both individuals and the community, and due to
this criminal action, poor people are robbed of their good health. The poor individuals are
abducted and trafficked for the sale of organs (Efrat, 2016). In the process, the organ traffickers
misuse them severely to ascertain that they do not betray or expose them, while some traffickers
end the victims' life to avoid leaving any possible proof behind. Moreover, the communities left
behind experience the psychological trauma of searching for their loved ones.  

In addition, trafficking of organs can lead to health risks of organ functions,

psychological problems, and surgical procedures to both the victim and the recipient. There are
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also risks of blood clots, infections, pain, wound complications, and sometimes death (Efrat,
2016). Organ sale also causes mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. The
transplanted organ may not function as expected and will make the recipient experience anger
and regret. Besides, children are orphaned at a young age when parents die due to organ selling
and are left responsible.

Buying and selling human organs is a huge mistake. The organ market views human parts
as a commodity, dehumanizing and cheapen human relationships (Efrat, 2016). The organ selling
system creates an economic relationship between the seller and the buyer rather than a charity
relationship and raises quality problems. The market hinders volunteer donors, ends the self-
sacrificing bond between people, and portrays a physical threat that will demean human bodies
to the status of trade articles. To end organ trafficking, communities should oppose illegal organ
marketing and encourage personal willingness to sell or donate organs to save other people's
lives. 

Individuals trafficked for human organs becomes isolated from social groups, friends,
and families. Their emotions of shame or guilt can cause this because they had moved to new
places and lived far away from society (Efrat, 2016). Either way, the individuals can be
withdrawn and lose contact with friends. Some victims who luckily return to their homes by
escaping trafficking circumstances may be shut out from social groups because of the stigma
they face. Family and friends can also shut them out and make them feel unwanted, worthless,
and unloved. Unfortunately, the isolation will make the victims vulnerable to trafficking again. 

Research proves that for patients who receive organ transplant illegally, their healing
process is irregularly worse than the patients who receive the organs legally. In most cases, the
patients contract transmissible diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis B because the surgical
equipment's used in the process are not appropriate or well sterilized (Efrat, 2016). Additionally,
the patient and the transplanted organ survival rates are minimal. Most of them go back to their
homes not fully recovered and with no medical specialist to attend to them or advise on
precautions to take during the healing process.

More importantly, human organ trafficking is illegal and punishable by law. Suppose
anybody tricks any child or an adult to participate in human trafficking knowingly or forcing. In
that case, the person is punished with imprisonment that extends to life imprisonment, ten years
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or a liable fine (Efrat, 2016). When the trafficker is sentenced to life imprisonment, their family
is left behind with no one to provide for them. The families end up in psychological trauma,
distress and mental illness. On the other hand, the traffickers face the challenges of shame,
isolation, and even family breakups as nobody may want to associate with them.

Again, human organ trafficking affects the economy. Money produced from trafficking
is never taxed, which does not benefit the community (Efrat, 2016). The governments are left
utilizing other income resources and spending millions of money to prevent, treat, and support
victims of human organ trafficking. This involves coming up with strategies and empowerment
of local leaders to contribute to creating awareness of anti-trafficking. Additionally, there are the
costs of the police investigation and collection of evidence of the suspected human organ
trafficking, apprehending and prosecuting the traffickers. There is probation, criminal court,
prison, and other governmental service costs to prosecute and confiscate traffickers successfully.

Conclusion

In conclusion, no one can buy life, but people turn into the black market to violate human
rights due to victims' vulnerabilities. Human organ trafficked victims are left to live with
incomplete body parts, which leads them to psychological trauma. Governments, health
organizations, and societies should condemn, create awareness, and develop strategies to
eliminate the illegal sale of human organs. The strategy should include ending or minimizing
poverty, training inexperienced individuals on the causes and effects of human organ trafficking,
creating employment, and establishing severe punishable laws for traffickers. In addition,
communities should not isolate trafficked human organ victims to minimize their vulnerabilities
of being trafficked again.

References
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Efrat, A. (2016). Global efforts against human trafficking: The misguided conflation of sex,
labor, and organ trafficking. International Studies Perspectives, 17(1), 34-54.
https://academic.oup.com/isp/article-abstract/17/1/34/1813351

Greenbaum, V. J., Titchen, K., Walker-Descartes, I., Feifer, A., Rood, C. J., & Fong, H. F.
(2018). Multi-level prevention of human trafficking: the role of health care
professionals. Preventive medicine, 114, 164-167.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743518302135

Hopper, E. K. (2017). Trauma-informed psychological assessment of human trafficking

survivors. Women & Therapy, 40(1-2), 12-30.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02703149.2016.1205905

Ravi, A., Pfeiffer, M. R., Rosner, Z., & Shea, J. A. (2017). Trafficking and Trauma. Medical
care, 55(12), 1017-1022.
https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/wk/mcar/2017/00000055/00000012/art00019

Stoklosa, H., Showalter, E., Melnick, A., & Rothman, E. F. (2017). Health care providers'
experience with a protocol for the identification, treatment, and referral of human-
trafficking victims. Journal of Human Trafficking, 3(3), 182-192.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/23322705.2016.1194668

Van Reisen, M., & Mawere, M. (2017). Human trafficking and trauma in the digital era. Langaa
Rpcig.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mirjam_Reisen/publication/316989834_Human_Tra
fficking_and_Trauma_in_the_Digital_Era_The_Ongoing_Tragedy_of_the_Trade_in_Ref
ugees_from_Eritrea/links/5cc81da6a6fdcc1d49b9dc29/Human-Trafficking-and-Trauma-
in-the-Digital-Era-The-Ongoing-Tragedy-of-the-Trade-in-Refugees-from-Eritrea.pdf

Wilkens, K. (2018). The True Cost of Selling Your Organs on Egypt's Illegal Black
Market. Journal of International Business and Law, 17(2), 6.
https://scholarlycommons.law.hofstra.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
article=1340&context=jibl