Magdalene House Chicago helping human trafficking survivors

CHICAGO (WLS) — The U.S. State Department recently released its annual “Trafficking In Persons Report,” looking at 188 countries and territories.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said more than 27 million people around the world are victims of human trafficking.

“The United States is committed to combating human trafficking because it represents an attack on human rights and freedoms,” he said.

According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 243 cases were identified in 2021 in Illinois. That’s the most recent year that numbers are available.

So what happens once victims are freed from those situations? For some women, it’s Magdalene House Chicago.

The organization provides a two-year residential program for women who have survived sex trafficking, prostitution and addiction.

RELATED: 48 people arrested in San Diego after months-long human trafficking investigation

Read Related Also: Rare sight as 'apex predators' spotted metres from shore on Aussie coast

Mikayla Vosler is the clinical program director.

“Women really need two years to stabilize and get out of that fight and flight survivor mode so that they can really get into the meat and the hard work of healing and rebuilding their lives,” she said.

The biggest risk factors for becoming a victim are substance abuse and addiction, homeless youth, victims of domestic violence or sexual assault, having a recent location change or recently immigrating to an area.

Vosler said, “People of color and folks in the LGBTQ community are standing apart as being disproportionately affected by this issue.”

And human trafficking isn’t something that happens somewhere else.

“On any given day, there are 16,000 women and girls who are trafficked in the Chicagoland area. Each one can be turned eight to 10 times. It’s even worse during sporting, political and entertainment events,” said Mary Lawrence, a founding board member of Magdalene House Chicago. “It’s literally in our backyard.”