Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix weekend brings human trafficking concerns
MIAMI - The Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix will once again take over Hard Rock Stadium this weekend.
However, it's big event weekends like this one that put housing shelters like Camillus House on high alert. The non-profit said they see an uptick of calls during this time of people seeking help and some seeking shelter.
It said last year, 21 people were victims of human trafficking during the race weekend, but those were just people who the Miami-Dade County Human Trafficking Task Force brought to safety. The truth is, there were likely more.
For that reason, Camillus House is preparing well in advance, along with the county's state attorney's office and other agencies, to get ahead of this.
Camillus House CEO Hilda Fernandez said there are various tools a trafficker can use to keep his victims.
"Traffickers use major manipulation tools. Fear is one of them, addiction is another. So you're talking about the concept is you either create a sense of dependency or despondency. They're like I can't leave because I don't know where to go. I don't know where to go or I'm scared or whatever. Or I'm depending on them because this is the person who is my supplier of illegal drugs. So, for a lot of these survivors, it's a challenge to make that separation happen," she said.
She said while they see an increase in calls on weekends like this, getting the victims to come in and seek shelter is more difficult than you may think.
"We do get calls that result in them maybe coming in, but it takes, it's a scary prospect. When you imagine you are being controlled to the level you're being controlled, and that leaving your trafficker can result in harm to yourself and even potentially harm to your family and friends, that decision is sometimes very difficult to make, even if you want to make it," she said.
Fernandez said they have freed up extra beds already to prepare for this weekend.
She had some safety tips to keep in mind to avoid becoming a victim.
- Trust your judgment (if it doesn't sound right or feel right, don't do it)
- Let a trusted friend know of your location
- Safety words (one word can mean you are in a safe location, another can mean you are unsafe)
- Don't leave drinks unattended or take drugs from strangers
The county's Human Trafficking Task Force has a hotline trafficking victims can call for help - (305) 349-7867.
That number has been placed on billboards throughout the area.
