What is Human Trafficking?

A $32 billion annual industry, trafficking is a type of slavery that involves the transport or trade of people for the purpose of work.

The United Nations, which is taking the global lead against human trafficking, states that:

“Trafficking in persons” shall mean the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person, for the purpose of exploitation. Exploitation shall include, at a minimum, the exploitation of the prostitution of others or other forms of sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or the removal of organs.”

Approximately 43 million people around the world are ensnared in the web of human trafficking at any given time.

Trafficking impacts people of all backgrounds and people are trafficked for a variety of purposes. Men are often trafficked into hard labour jobs, while children are trafficked into labour positions in textile, agriculture and fishing industries. Women and girls are typically trafficked into the commercial sex industry i.e. prostitution or other forms of sexual exploitation.