WASHINGTON - U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback today made the following statement at a news conference with PBS' "Wide Angle" series, which addresses the human catastrophe known as human trafficking.

"Tomorrow evening, PBS' WIDE ANGLE will air the film Dying to Leave, a film about illicit migration and human trafficking. I would like to thank PBS and executive producer, Stephen Segaller, for their investment in raising public awareness of this scourge. This film deftly captures the context and contours of modern day slavery through the tragic stories of individuals from Iraq, Moldova, China, Mexico and Colombia.

"At the end of the 19th Century, the last major stronghold of human slavery was abolished. Many mistakenly believe that we have long since moved beyond this abominable episode in our history. Quite the opposite is true. As stated in the film itself, the fact of human migration is as old as humanity itself - so is the history of forcibly transferred people.

"At the dawn of the 21st Century, captive labor has reached a level unprecedented in human history. Worldwide, 27 million people live in slavery. Let me put this figure into context. Twenty-seven million is double the number of people taken out of Africa during the 350 years of the transatlantic slave trade.

"The same forces of globalization that propel progress for international conglomerates allow international criminals to exploit a burgeoning supply of desperate invididuals to meet the developed world's seemingly insatiable demand.

"Further, human trafficking today is more profitable than ever before. Today, the profitability of these smuggling rackets rivals that of the drug trade. An estimated profit of $8 to $10 billion annually is garnered through prostitution and forced labor of those trafficked. The global sex trade, in particular, has boomed. In Japan, the world's second largest economy, the sex trade brings in $400 million per year.

"Human trafficking is the 'perfect crime.' The chances of being caught are slight, small penalties exist for those unfortunate enough to be caught, huge profits can be made, and this particular trade rests on a commodity that can be used and reused, sold and bartered.

"The supply side of the equation is particularly bleak. While there are 100,000 places in the developed world for refugee resettlement per year, 50 million refugees and displaced persons exist worldwide today. This ready reservoir of the stateless presents an opportunity rife for exploitation by human traffickers.

"Each person featured in the film demonstrates another dimension of the desperation and promises of a better life exploited by traffickers.

"The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, which I sponsored with the late Senator Paul Wellstone, offered special visas for victims of trafficking who helped prosecute their traffickers. This legislation also established the Trafficking in Persons Office, commonly referred to by the acronym TIP. Although an estimated 20,000 people are trafficked to the U.S. each year, only 50-100 of these special visas have been issued since the enactment of this legislation. "The TIP, under the leadership of former Congressman John Miller, has made enormous strides in pushing countries to make substantive changes to their laws and practices. However, certain provisions of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act need to be strengthened to empower the office, Congressman Miller and the hand of U.S. diplomacy. This year was the first year that sanctions for trafficking went into effect. With the threat of sanctions looming, effected countries began to pass new laws criminalizing trafficking, and began to prosecute violators.

"Shortly, I hope to introduce a bill reauthorizing the Trafficking Victims Protection Act to enhance America's role in combating international trafficking in women and children. Included will be provisions delineating within Tier II countries the difference between a country that would barely fall into this category between a country on the verge of becoming a worst case Tier III offender. In addition, I hope to make the position of the office director of ambassadorial rank to be confirmed by the Senate. This will be an important signal regarding the weight the United States places on fighting trafficking.

"Last, the Congress needs to be prepared to move beyond just the implementation of the Act, but to commit the necessary resources to move forward. The Senate CJS appropriations bill zeroed out funding for this office. The TIP Office needs more staff to support Congressman Miller's work and to adequately handle the reporting requirements of the Act. Our symbolic commitment to liberating woman and children from sexual slavery cannot fall short of victory because the Untied States is not willing to put the strength of our pocketbook behind this mission.

"As President Bush stated yesterday in his speech at the UN, 'We must show the energy in fighting back an old evil. Nearly two centuries after the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, and more than a century after slavery was officially ended in its last strongholds, the trade in human beings for any purpose must not be allowed to thrive in our time.'"