Global human trafficking rises sharply after dropping during pandemic, UN says

Human trafficking has risen sharply due to conflicts, climate-induced disasters and global crises, according to a United Nations report.

In 2022, the latest year for which data is widely available, the number of known victims worldwide rose to 25% above 2019’s pre-pandemic levels, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s Global Report on Trafficking in Persons says. A sharp fall in 2020 had largely disappeared by the following year.

“Criminals are increasingly trafficking people into forced labor, including to coerce them into running sophisticated online scams and cyberfraud, while women and girls face the risk of sexual exploitation and gender-based violence,” the report says, adding that organized crime is mainly responsible.

Children account for 38% of detected victims, compared to 35% for figures for 2020, which formed the basis of the previous report.

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