As the Tri-State area gears up to host the FIFA World Cup this month, anti-trafficking advocates are sounding the alarm about a darker side of mega sporting events. With billions in projected economic activity expected, officials warn that bad actors will also be looking to profit from the influx of visitors and cash flowing into the region.
Brianna Keys, director of human rights for the World Cup New York and New Jersey host committee, stated that historically human trafficking increases around mega sporting events. She emphasised that raising public consciousness about the issue is the greatest prevention tool available to combat this crime during the tournament.
Officials say traffickers follow opportunity, moving victims to where demand is expected to rise. They use highways, hotels and even short-term rentals to operate across state lines, which has law enforcement and advocates bracing for a spike in trafficking activity across New York City, Westchester County and Connecticut.
Connecticut officials are particularly concerned given the state's position as a transit corridor. We know traffickers use major highway systems, so Connecticut being a transit state, we anticipate we will see an increase, said one official involved in the anti-trafficking preparations for the World Cup period.
Gina Cavallo, a survivor who says she was trafficked in multiple states including New Jersey, shared her harrowing experience to highlight the scope of the problem. I was sold over and over to the highest bidder, she said. I was hoping to die. I could not trust anybody. I knew that I was just trapped in this hell.
After eventually escaping, Cavallo now works with the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking. She wants people to understand that trafficking is out of control and happening everywhere, not just in far-away places but in local communities across the United States.
The warning comes as the Tri-State region completes final preparations for hosting World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium and other venues. The combination of massive crowds, international visitors and significant economic activity creates conditions that trafficking experts say are ideal for exploitation, making vigilance and public awareness critical during the tournament.