How to combat human trafficking

Summer is the perfect time to get out and travel across the #BoldNorth borders and states. The next time you're on the road or at the airport, you'll need to keep an eye out for an important signal that could potentially save a life. The hand signal indicates that the individual is being trafficked and needs help. So what should you look for?

The Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport has installed signs in its terminal restrooms that inform the public about the hand signal they should look for when helping a trafficked person.

The hand signal is pretty simple, and many wouldn't give it a second glance if they didn't know what it meant. The trafficked person will have their thumb tucked into their palm with four fingers raised, then close their hand around their thumb.

This is a signal that the person needs help because they are being trafficked against their will. If you see someone showing you this sign, you should immediately notify law enforcement/security/TSA.

The Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport actually put this hand signal in their monthly newsletter that they send out. Here's what they had to say about the signal and how it's recognized internationally.

The human trafficking hand signal begins with an open hand, raised with the thumb tucked into the palm, then the fingers curled over the thumb. Once the hand signal is seen by a person, that person can alert the police by texting or calling 911.

More than 40 organizations in Canada and the United States have recognized the hand signal as a useful anti-trafficking tool.

Human trafficking involves a person being controlled by someone else to provide labor or sex for the benefit of a third party. Airports are known to be transit hubs for this type of activity in the United States. Victims often find themselves in places where they have no matches.

So the next time you're at the airport or on the road and see someone strangely “saving”, know that they may be trying to signal to you that they need help!

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