No, they're not exactly trafficked, but check out the following. As a federal worker, I have to do an annual "trafficking in persons awareness" lesson. The class is a bit different each year, and this year they had a little part that asks whether you would recognize a trafficked person on your job site. They offered these clues:

- May show signs of abuse
- May live in confinement
- May endure harsh conditions
- May live in poor conditions
- Even their passports are taken from them to prevent escape.

Hm. The last point always bothers me about missionaries. Most or perhaps all LDS mission presidents demand that incoming missionaries hand over their passports. DW and I served 11 years in diplomatic posts, 8 years as actual State Dept employees, and one thing we can say for certain is that it is illegal for someone to make you hand over your passport as most mission presidents demand that their missionaries do. First of all, your passport is property of the government and under your care, not the care of anyone else. Also, bad things often await those who are detained or arrested by local authorities and then don't have their passports on their persons; if you are a foreigner and don't have a local version of a green card, your passport is your only legal ID. We all know why mission presidents confiscate the passport of a missionary. They universally say that it's "for safekeeping," but it's for the same reason as a trafficked person--they don't want the missionary to bolt.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/2011 02:06PM by cludgie.

Wow. That's interesting.

The abuse...does that include emotional abuse?

The rest was dead on for me in my mission.

They may not be trafficked, but apparently a lot of them are being treated no better than if they were.

OTOH, considering the rat holes that some mishies are given a lodgings, then the passports may well be better off in the care of someone with a nice office, excellent security and a safe.

West Berlin was a part of my mission in Germany before the wall fell. The MP couldn't take our passports. If he decided to send us to Berlin during the course of our missions, that meant travelling through East Germany via train. One most definitly needed the passport ready for inspection when the armed Russian guard passes through the cabin and asks for it!

Pros and Cons with taking a passport.

Pro - keeps an overwhelmed 19 year old from losing the passport amongst his cockroach hotel room.

Con - keeps an overwhelmed 19 year old from calling it quits when he realizes it's all a bunch of BS.

I travel extensively and lock my passport in a safe in hotels when I'm at one, lock it in my room on the boat, and it is on me when I need it. Unfortunately missionaries don't have the luxury of safes.

There should be a stated policy and when the passport is taken they should have a copy of their passport and entry stamp with them at all times. That will suffice in most places to avoid carrying it with. Sucks they can't just get it back whenever they want though.

No local authorities have to accept a photocopy. The local US consulate will make a sort of official photocopy with a stamp proving that you did it at the consulate, but the local authorities are still under no obligation to honor it. If your mission president is actually your friend, he will encourage you to always have it about your person and guard it with your life.

What happens if you lose your passport? Can't you just go to the embassy and order another one and get temporary papers? It's not like missionaries in most circumstances are going to need them immediately until they go home or else they wouldn't have them locked up at the office. I don't know the procedure for lost passports, but is that a huge, huge danger or can I call bull on the lost passport excuse?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/2011 04:09PM by Makurosu.

You can call bull. From what I've read, getting a replacement passport from the embassy is pretty straightforward. It's what they're there for after all.

You can, however, get a passport waiver if your passport has been lost or stolen, and it's legal only to get you back on a plane and home again. You can reapply for a passport if you actually live there, and it takes a couple of weeks to receive it. Of course, you'll need the old one, or AN old one, to get a new one. But if you actually live abroad, theoretically you'll have a permit applicable to that country, plus a visa foil from that country.

When I was in the mission field I refused to surrender my passport.
I was then considered confrontational by the pres.

You are describing Peace Corps perfectly.

Edit: ...except for the passport thing. Oops.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/18/2011 06:53PM by snb.

don't missionaries have a minister of religion document that they keep with them if someone asks for ID? I remember using one on my mission to identify myself.