WUNRN
UN Wire - April 4, 2012
While some 17% of the
2.4 million people trafficked annually are forced to perform labor, nearly all
the rest are exploited as sexual slaves, said Yuri Fedotov, head of the UN
Office on Drugs and Crime. Human trafficking is a $32 billion per year business
in which 2 out of every 3 victims are women, he said, and only 1 out of every
100 victims is ever rescued.
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Direct Link to Full 32-Page IOM
Report:
Child
Trafficking and Labour Trafficking Cases Rising: IOM
Child
victims of human trafficking helped by IOM increased to 2,040 in 2011, up 27%
from 1,565 in 2008, according to new IOM data.
It shows that the number of adult victims referred to 89 IOM missions in 91
countries during the same period rose 13% to 3,404 from 3,012.
While the number of female victims remained stable at 3,415, compared to 3,404
in 2008, the number of male victims rose 27% to 2,040 from 1,656, reflecting
growing public recognition of the trafficking of men for the purpose of labour
exploitation.
Labour trafficking cases rose 43% to 2,906, up from 2,031 in 2008. In contrast,
cases of trafficking for sexual exploitation dropped 19% to 1,507 from 1,866
four years earlier.
International trafficking cases fell 13% to 3,531 in 2011, down from 4,066 in
2008. But domestic cases shot up 140% from 713 in 2008 to 1,708 last year.
The fall in international cases may reflect more efficient immigration and
border controls, while the increase in the number of domestic cases may reflect
greater public awareness of trafficking and improved domestic law enforcement,
according to IOM Head of Counter Trafficking Laurence Hart.
Out of a total of 5,498 victims helped by IOM in 2011, 1,606 were in Europe,
1,049 in South and Central Asia, 984 in the Western Hemisphere, 860 in East
Asia and the Pacific, 696 in the Middle East and 303 in Africa, according
to IOM 2012 Case Data on Human Trafficking: Global Figures and Trends.
Roughly a third (36%) of cases involved children under the age of 18.
Nearly two thirds (62%) of the total were women and a little over a third (37%)
were men.
In Europe, Asia and the Pacific, Central and Southern Asia, women
outnumbered men by roughly two to one. In the Middle East, the Western
Hemisphere and Africa, the gender gap was less pronounced.
The top ten countries of destination for human trafficking victims helped by
IOM in 2011 were the Russian Federation (837), Haiti (658), Yemen (552),
Thailand (449), Kazakhstan (265), Afghanistan (170), Indonesia (148), Poland
(122), Egypt (103) and Turkey (101.)
The top ten countries of origin for victims were Ukraine (235), Haiti (709),
Yemen (378), Laos (359), Uzbekistan (292), Cambodia (258), Kyrgyzstan (213),
Afghanistan (179), Belarus (141) and Ethiopia (122.)
In Europe, IOM Ukraine recorded the most victims assisted with 814 of the
total. Belarus recorded 142, Moldova 98 and Germany 69.
In Central and South, Asia Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Afghanistan topped the
totals, accounting for 202, 204 and 199 cases respectively.
In the Western Hemisphere, IOM helped 656 victims in Haiti, 65 in the United
States and 49 in the Dominican Republic.
In Asia and the Pacific, Thailand accounted for 260 cases, Laos for 195,
Cambodia for 122 and Vietnam for 102.
In the Middle East, IOM offices recorded 513 cases in Yemen and 100 in Egypt.
In Africa IOM handled 47 cases in Tanzania, 45 in Uganda, 44 in Ethiopia and 32
in Mali.
IOM provides a wide range of services to help victims of human trafficking,
including shelter, medical and legal assistance, vocational training, assisted
voluntary return to the country of origin, and reintegration assistance once
they return home.