Migration is not a new phenomenon in humans history, human were migrating, moving from one place to another place since the begining of its existence. Recently, IOM (International Organization for Migration) reported that the total number of international migrants has been increasing from 150 million in 2000 to 214 million persons in 2011 (IOM, 2011). Hence, as Long (Brown) argue that migration is often appeared to be the communal decision shaped by the social interaction and as migrants are often being trafficked, it is important to understand the needs of the continued social relations in Migration. In my opinion and based on Browns article, a continued social relation could create a social capital which is important to ensure a safe migration and to prevent human trafficking.
A continued social relation will bring information and social capital that affects who moves, where they go, how long they go, what they do and how well they prosper upon arrival (Brown). By all these information, an individual will be able to recognize the safe way in doing migration. A person will be able to recognize whether those who migrate are really having profit from migration, which place is safe for migration, how long that it takes and could takes, what is necessary to do before-during-and after migration to gain positive effects of migration. This information could be attained through a well established social capital by maintaining a continued social relation.
Another important reason for maintaining the social relations is to prevent human trafficking. I have been working in three area in West Java; Indramayu, Cirebon and Kuningan. These three areas are well known to be the source area for migration and as the source area for human trafficking, because most of those migrants are being trafficked by their agent. From 2007 until 2008 there are 232 human trafficking victims in West Java, these numbers are 84 percent from the national trafficking victims. By the empirical experiences in these three areas, it is understood that continued social relations and the social capital are very much helpful to prevent human trafficking. Hence, the local organizations consist of the survival, the success migrant and others even local government are playing a big role in providing all the information needed by a migrant to avoid human trafficking. Furthermore, these social capital also functioned in two area in preventing human trafficking such as; education and economic. In education area, the social capital will deliver training or discussion on safe migration and human trafficking through the local meetings such as PKK or Pengajian (local organization in the village where woman usually meets in a regular time for gathering, religions activity or to build another activity). The second area where local organizations could involve in preventing human trafficking is in economic area. Developing the economic area is important to support the financial needs of villagers for most of the migrations are based on financial problem. By developing small scale business such as a small shop for daily needs, small grocery or credit unions could build local economic empowerment to answer one of the reasons why migrants are being trafficked. The better the local organization is, the easier the local economic improvement.
To sum up, a continued social relation could create a social capital that will improve local power to gain positive impacts of safe migration and to prevent their migrant workers from human trafficking.
Bibliography:
Brown, D. L. (2009). A perspective for examining rural migration during the 21st century.
IOM. (2011, November 08). Fact and Figures. Retrieved November 08, 2011, from International Organization for Migration: http://www.iom.int/jahia/Jahia/about-migration/facts-and-figures/lang/en
