Poverty is one of the two main causes of human trafficking. Severe poverty often drives people into situations where they are at risk of becoming victims of human trafficking. Families living in extreme poverty may sell their children in order to bring money into the family or to give their children what they believe will be a real opportunity to escape the poverty of their family and community.
Other times people are driven into slavery by economic or social necessity, and they themselves may even be the one who formed the idea of working outside the community. Many times victims of slavery will even pay a large sum for their travel, and what they believe are their visa and placement fees. Unbeknownst to them they are paying money to enslave themselves.
Poverty is not only a problem at the individual or family level, but it is also a problem at the national level.