Trafficking in Persons Trends and Patterns Kristiina Kangaspunta UNODC

Global situation

Trafficking in Persons happens everywhere

Victims with 152 citizenships were identified in 124 countries across the globe 2010-2012

At least 510 trafficking in persons flows were identified 2010-2012

• 20.9 million people are estimated to be in forced labour at any given time

(ILO Global Estimate of Forced Labour: Results and Methodology)

• From these 20.9 million people US$150 billion in profits are produced annually

(ILO, “Forced Labour, Human Trafficking and Slavery,” 2015)

It impacts millions of people

Most detected victims are trafficked cross borders within the same subregion

Domestic 34%

Cross-border within same

subregion 37%

From nearby subregion

3%

Transregional 26%

Most detected traffickers are nationals of the country where they are convicted

Foreigners from other

regions 14%

Foreigners from the

same region 22% Nationals

64%

Sexual exploitation is the most detected form of exploitation globally

(2011)

Sexual Exploitation

53%

Forced Labour 40%

Organ Removal

0.3%

Others 7%

But the detection of forced labour is increasing (2007-2011)

32% 33% 35% 36%

40%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Factors increasing the vulnerability to trafficking in persons

Age

Increasing detection of child victims,

2004-2011

10% 13% 17% 21%

3% 9% 10%

12%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2004 2006 2009 2011

Girls Boys

Significant regional differences in child trafficking (2010-2012)

Gender

Most detected victims are women (2011)

Adult men 18%

Adult women 49%

Girls 21%

Boys 12%

Most detected victims of trafficking for forced labour are men (2010-2012)

Prosecuted Convicted

The share of female traffickers is exceptionally high (2010-2012)

Economic disparity

Trafficking flows from poor regions towards more affluent ones

Victims of transregional trafficking are more often detected in destination countries which have high GDP per capita

South Africa

Bahrain

UAE

United Kingdom

Qatar

Canada

Costa Rica

Isreal

Finland

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

80000

90000

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Gro

ss D

om

esti

c P

rod

uct

per

Cap

ita

(2

01

1)

Share of victims detected originating from outside the region

The presence of organize crime

• Cross-border trafficking: the higher the prevalence of organized crime in the origin countries, the more victims of these origin countries are detected in the major destinations.

• Domestic trafficking: happens everywhere, and it seems to be unrelated to the level of organized crime.

Typology on the organization of trafficking in persons

Small local operations Medium subregional operations Large transregional operations

Domestic or short-distance One or few traffickers Small number of victims Limited investment and profits No travel documents needed

for border crossings No or very limited organization

required

Within the subregion or neigh-bouring subregions

Small group of traffickers More than one victims Some investments and some

profits depending on the number of victims

Border crossings with or without travel documents

Some organization needed

depending on border crossings and number of victims

Long distance between different regions

Traffickers involved in

organized crime Large number of victims High investments and high

profits Border crossings always require

travel documents Sophisticated organization

needed to move large number of victims long distance

Conflicts

• In 2011-2013, eight countries mainly in the Middle East and in Western Europe reported having detected Syrian victims - very rarely detected before 2011

• UNICEF reported in May 2014 that at least 6,000 children have been recruited by armed groups in the Central African Republic

• In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UN documented the recruitment of 996 children by armed groups in 2012-2013

Weak criminal justice response

Most countries criminalize trafficking in persons

33 (19%)

97 (56%)

135 (78%)

146 (84.5%) 40

(23%)

32 (18.5%)

22 (13%) 18 (10.5%)

100 (58%)

44 (25.5%)

16 (9%) 9 (5%)

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

November2003 November2008 August 2012 August2014

Covers Most/All Forms Partial No Specific Offence

But the number of convictions remains low

Not available 17%

No convictions 15%

Less than ten 26%

Between 10 and 50

26%

More than 50

16% Number of

convictions

recorded

per year,

share of

countries

Probability of first-instance conviction for persons investigated for trafficking in persons

Corruption

Corruption is linked to trafficking in many ways

• Facilitates human trafficking: – Opens borders

– Provides resources to traffickers (documents, jobs, etc)

– Protects criminals

• Increases profits for traffickers and public/private actors

• Impedes anti-trafficking measures

• Violates the victims rights

• Feeds trafficking by destabilising democracies, weakening a country’s rule of law and stalling its development

Links to other crimes

• Crimes facilitating human trafficking: kidnapping, fraud, document forgery, assault, rape, false imprisonment, breaking immigration and border laws, corruption of government officials, money laundering…

• Human trafficking facilitating other crimes: drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, acts of terrorism, illegal fishing, environmental crimes…

Trafficking in persons is linked to multiple crimes

WWW.UNODC.ORG/GLOTIP