The Numbers of Trafficking in Human Beings Worldwide and the Possible Repercussions of the Pandemic Crisis

Published the fifth UNODC Global report on trafficking in persons, ed. 2020

The Global report on trafficking in persons of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), just published in its fifth edition, is a fundamental tool for measuring the extent of the human trafficking phenomenon around the world. It provides a detailed overview of patterns and flows of trafficking in persons between 2016 and 2019, based on trafficking cases detected in 148 UN Member States.

On this occasion, the report takes into consideration the general context of the pandemic crisis still in progress, which is leading to a significant global economic downturn, described in terms of "Pandemic Recession", and whose severe socioeconomic repercussions will likely increase victims’ vulnerabilities to trafficking.

In addition to providing a global overview of pattern and flows of human trafficking (chapter I) and detailed regional and national analyses (chapter VI), this edition of the Global report provides four specific thematic chapters, respectively dedicated to:

  • the role of socioeconomic factors in victims’ vulnerability to trafficking and the risks triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic (chapter II)
  • patterns of child trafficking and the roles of extreme poverty, social norms and familial backgrounds (chapter III)
  • trafficking for the purpose of labor exploitation and the economic sectors most at risk (chapter IV)
  • the role of information technologies in facilitating recruitment and exploitation (chapter V)

 

The whole report can be downloaded here.