More than 7000 victims every year: human trafficking happens in Europe too

 

More than two years ago, at Mumbai Smiles we started working in Europe with the same objective as our projects in South Asia: to fight against human trafficking.

From the beginning we knew that human trafficking is a universal problem and European countries are not exempt from it. In fact, unfortunately the data proves us right: according to figures from the European Commission itself and the UNODC, an average of between 7,000 and 10,000 victims of human trafficking are registered in the EU each year, although it is estimated that the figure may be higher, since many of the victims go unnoticed. According to official sources, today it is estimated that there are 140,000 victims of human trafficking in Europe alone and, of these, 50% are EU citizens.

In recent years, armed conflicts and humanitarian crises have intensified and migrants and asylum seekers, especially those travelling in unsafe conditions, always increase in number during these conflicts. They are the ones who are particularly exposed to trafficking and exploitation.

According to a 2023 report, the reasons for human trafficking include sexual exploitation, forced labour, forced criminal activities, organ donation or forced marriages, among others. In fact, the European Commission included forced marriage and illegal adoption as a type of trafficking in 2022.

Although sexual exploitation, at 56%, remains the largest type of trafficking, in recent years forced labour has doubled its presence and victims of labour exploitation now account for 28% within the EU.

The majority of victims of trafficking in Europe and around the world are women and girls, but the number of men is increasing, especially as forced labourers. In this case, victims of forced labour mostly come from developing countries and are forced into labour-intensive jobs or domestic work.

 The war in Ukraine: the beginning of Mumbai Smiles’ work in Europe

With the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022, a refugee crisis began that has already affected more than 6.3 million people. This context provided all the conditions for human trafficking networks to act and take advantage of the desperation and confusion of those fleeing to attract new victims of exploitation.

Since Mumbai Smiles’ commitment to the eradication of human trafficking, the organization saw the need to intervene in the area. Our priorities were the prevention of new cases of trafficking and the identification of specific needs that allowed the protection of potential victims.

After this emergency intervention, we began our project to combat trafficking in Spain. Taking advantage of our experience, we currently offer support to victims of trafficking from South Asia who have been exploited within our borders. Our awareness-raising and prevention work is more necessary than ever, especially with the evolution of the forms of exploitation in recent years and the increase in the recruitment of new victims through the Internet and social networks.

Europe Day against human trafficking

In light of this situation and on the occasion of the European Day against Trafficking in Persons on 18 October, we see it as more necessary than ever for EU countries to come together to combat a crime that knows no borders.

In 2021, the European Commission presented a new anti-trafficking strategy focused on preventing crime, prosecuting traffickers and protecting and empowering victims. One of the main objectives of this strategy is to promote international cooperation: since half of the victims detected in the EU are from third countries, cooperation is necessary to combat trafficking in countries of origin and transit.

Today, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, made a statement in which he ratified the EU’s will to fight trafficking and pointed out that the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) has launched a new monitoring cycle, focusing on trafficking among vulnerable groups. According to the statement, GRETA’s reports highlight critical gaps in the identification and protection of trafficking victims. Immigration policies must comply with legal obligations to help these people, ensuring their protection rather than punishing or overlooking them.

At Mumbai Smiles we join the efforts and call for more measures to address a problem that is much closer than we think.