ABSTRACT
Sex trafficking has become a dominant human rights concern around the world in part due to the effects of globalization. Freedom from sex trafficking, broadly defined as the often forced, deceptive, or coerced recruitment, transport, holding, purchasing, and selling of persons for commercial sexual exploitation, has become a significant human rights cause in the last decade. Debates stem in particular from the singling out of sex trafficking as a seemingly greater human rights violation than other forms of trafficking in recent times. However, international anti-sex trafficking legislation spotlights international law enforcement, criminalization, border security and immigration control, which are also hallmarks of anti-sex trafficking legislation in the North American context. Fears of more porous borders resulting from globalization generally and NAFTA specifically can be found in anti-sex trafficking rhetoric in the region. The securitization of sex trafficking enhances state power and further fortresses North America to the detriment of those trafficked within it.
