MIAMI — As South Florida prepares to host seven World Cup matches at Hard Rock Stadium, state and local authorities are ramping up efforts to prevent human trafficking during what’s expected to be a surge of visitors.

Part of that effort includes making sure survivors have a safe place to stay.

Camillus House is adding 50 temporary beds over the next few months through the World Cup to help human trafficking survivors in need of housing.

More than a million visitors are expected to travel to South Florida for the global event. Advocates say large-scale events like this often bring an increase in human trafficking due to the rise in tourism.

Survivors will be able to find refuge at Camillus House, which has 10 sites across Miami-Dade County, offering rooms with bathrooms and showers.

The goal is to meet survivors’ immediate needs and then work with partner organizations to determine the safest next steps.

“It’s important to restore human dignity,” said Eddie Gloria, CEO of Camillus House. “We try to give people their life back. We try to give people hope. We try to give them community and the chance to start thinking about tomorrow and move away from surviving into creating.”

South Florida ramps up anti-trafficking efforts ahead of World Cup matches

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Byron Tollefson