Sources used in this document:

Advocates of returning the victims to their nations of origin point out that they might not have better lives in the U.S., given that many lack the language and employment skills to succeed at anything besides minimum wage jobs. Also, some victims are not entirely coerced into their employment -- although they may not truly be 'consensual' in the work they are doing, given that its nature is not fairly paid nor is it fairly represented, if trafficking is rewarded through amnesty, then many victims may actually continue to agree to go along with it, in the desperate hope of leaving the poverty in their homeland. Also, governments may be more apt to tacitly facilitate trafficking, as a way to be rid of the surplus population of the very poor. "In many countries, such as Thailand, trafficking has resulted in a large illegal economy that is well integrated into the country's power structure" (Loring, Engstrom, Hillard & Dias 2007:5) Although no one could reasonable argue against offering amnesty to victims who would face serious repercussions from oppressive governments, should they return home, on the other hand many counter that widespread amnesty for victims without a careful examination of their situations on a case-by- case basis is no solution to the problem of trafficking, given that it does not address the core problems of poverty at home, nor the structural imbalances of power between men and women that facilitate the practice.

Advocates of unconditional amnesty for trafficking victims in the nation, however, state that victims will not come forward, unless the victims are assured that they will not be repatriated. To stop the abuses of trafficking, its victims must bear witnesses to the horrors that have been perpetuated against them. According to Dovydaitis (2011), one of the greatest obstacles to victims reporting crimes is their fear of deportation. The U.S. Department of Justice has created a trafficking visa (T visa), allowing "the victim (and certain family members) to remain in the United States legally if the victim complies" with "reasonable requests for assistance in the investigation or prosecution of acts of trafficking" (Dovydaitis 2011). However, not all alleged victims are eligible for T. visas, depending upon the nature of their circumstances and the extent to which they can prove their alleged crimes. Also, a T. visa does not offer a victim permanent amnesty: "recipients of the T. visa are eligible for legal employment and can become lawful permanent residents after 3 years" and victims can be deported if they are denied a visa (Dovydaitis 2011).

It is for this reason, Dovydaitis states, those victims to not come forth and even many sympathizers may