At the end of January, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released its latest global report on human trafficking for 2022, covering cases from 2020. This 7th edition of the report highlights a world in flux, where the pandemic has significantly impacted both traffickers’ methods and the ability to identify victims of human trafficking. For instance, the report reveals a decline in the number of identified trafficking victims compared to previous years. However, during the report’s release, the head of UNODC’s research department stressed that this does not reflect an actual decrease in human trafficking but rather a diminished capacity of authorities to detect victims.
The UNODC Global Report on Human Trafficking has been published since 2009 and is commissioned by the UN General Assembly with the goal of identifying effective strategies to combat human trafficking, aligning with global targets aimed at eradicating this crime. The findings from the 2020 report are summarized in eleven key points.
1. The number of identified victims of human trafficking is decreasing
For the first time in 20 years, the number of identified human trafficking victims is declining. While this might seem encouraging, it is more likely due to changes in how exploitation occurs and limitations in law enforcement’s detection capacity brought on by the pandemic, rather than a true reduction in the number of people affected.
2. Fewer cases of human trafficking for sexual exploitation discovered during the pandemic
The number of detected cases of human trafficking for sexual exploitation has dropped by 24 percent since 2019. According to UNODC, this decline may be partly due to reduced exploitation in public venues like bars and nightclubs—places that closed during the pandemic and had previously been common sites for trafficking. However, UNODC also suggests that this shift may not indicate a true decrease in exploitation but rather a movement to more private, harder-to-detect locations.
3. Vulnerable individuals often must report their own victimization
41 percent of identified human trafficking cases come to light because the victims themselves report their experiences. Only 28 percent of cases are uncovered by law enforcement agencies, such as police, customs officials, or security personnel.
4. Convictions for human trafficking decreased during the pandemic
In 2020, the number of trafficking cases leading to convictions worldwide fell by 27 percent, with South Asia experiencing the largest drop—a 56 percent decrease in convictions against traffickers.
5. Impunity in the home country increases the risk of human trafficking
Transnational trafficking thrives in countries with a low conviction rate for human trafficking crimes. Many trafficking victims found outside their home countries come from regions with extremely low risks of prosecution, such as South Asia (0.01 percent conviction risk) and Sub-Saharan Africa (0.02 percent).
6. Conflict zones see higher rates of human trafficking victims
Countries affected by conflict experience increased human trafficking. Following the 2014 Ukraine conflict, for example, the number of trafficking victims from Ukraine quadrupled.
7. Climate change heightens the risk of human trafficking
In 2021, 23.7 million people were displaced within their own countries due to climate-related factors like economic instability and drought. This displacement and resulting vulnerability increase the risk of human trafficking.
8. Rising vulnerability of boys and men to emerging forms of trafficking
Since 2019, boys and men identified as at risk of trafficking have increased by around 3 percent, with the largest rise seen in trafficking for forced criminal activities and mixed forms of exploitation.
9. Women and children face greater violence as trafficking victims
Studies show that women trafficked for exploitation suffer physical and extreme violence three times more often than men. Children, too, face twice the risk of such violence compared to adults.
10. Organized trafficking networks exploit more victims with increased violence
The degree of organization among traffickers varies, but data shows that larger, more organized trafficking rings exploit greater numbers of victims, often using more violence and holding individuals for extended periods.
11. Women are more frequently convicted in human trafficking cases
In human trafficking cases, female perpetrators are more likely to be convicted. Men comprise 72 percent of identified traffickers, while 28 percent are women. However, among those prosecuted, 64 percent are men and 36 percent women; of those convicted, 59 percent are men and 41 percent are women.
An updated global status report on human trafficking cases identified by authorities worldwide is crucial. However, the findings must be considered in the context of the pandemic, which has impacted both the nature of exploitation and the capacity of various countries to prioritize resources for detecting and identifying trafficking victims. Active outreach, especially in areas associated with prostitution, is essential for uncovering instances of exploitation, as is equipping police with significant intelligence and investigative resources to secure convictions.
In many regions, victims are encountered primarily by civil society organizations, bypassing formal authorities. Efforts to combat trafficking are prioritized differently across countries, and anti-trafficking efforts are often deprioritized relative to other enforcement areas, such as drug control. For example, in countries lacking a sex-buying law, addressing sexual exploitation is more challenging due to the normalization of “sex-buying” and the presence of a widespread commercial sex industry, both of which fuel trafficking. EU statistics indicate that most individuals purchasing sexual services from foreign women—who are overrepresented in the prostitution sector—are likely exploiting trafficking victims.
The pandemic has influenced the dynamics of trafficking and exploitation, while reports indicate a rise in violence against women during this period, including in prostitution settings. However, this trend has often been overlooked by authorities due to reduced capacity and because certain forms of violence and exploitation remain undetected.