Trafficking in Persons is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. (United Nations, 2004)
Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude, or the removal of organs. (United Nations, 2004)
As defined in the Trafficking in Persons Protocol, human trafficking has three elements which are the act, the means, and the purpose. (United Nations, 2008)
The Act (What is done): This covers recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring, or receipt of persons.
The Means (How it is done): Including threat or use of force, coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or vulnerability, or giving payments or benefits to a person in control of the victim.
The Purpose (Why it is done): Trafficking is carried out for the purpose of exploitation, which includes prostitution of others, sexual exploitation, forced labour, slavery or similar practices, and the removal of organs. The financial incentive is another reason for trafficking: there is a demand for cheap domestic and agricultural labour which saves money for the employers, and additionally, victims frequently do not have the financial support to protect themselves. According to the ILO, the human trafficking industry generates a profit of $150 billion per year. (International Labour Organisation, 2014)