The UN fears the pandemic may have contributed to masking the scale of human trafficking. While recorded cases of this crime decreased significantly during the health crisis, experts believe that crimes such as human trafficking, prostitution, and forced labor may be driven further underground to avoid prosecution.
“There has been an explosion of online sexual exploitation, and a number of countries simply stopped working on these issues during the pandemic; they had to diversify their resources, dedicate them to other emergencies, and maintain their public sectors,” said Ilias Chatzis , head of the UNODC’s human trafficking section.
11% fewer cases of human trafficking were detected worldwide in 2020 compared to the previous year. The differences between rich and poor regions are striking. While the figures were halved in East Asia and North Africa, they increased in Europe and North America – where, according to the UN, more investigators and resources were available.
The United Nations fears that the decline in the number of first-time cases in 20 years could become the norm. This doesn't mean there are no cases, but rather that they are becoming increasingly difficult to detect. During the pandemic, traffickers took advantage of the crisis to expand their criminal networks undetected.
"The numbers have decreased so significantly that if we want to have a real chance of eradicating this crime, we need to think differently," emphasizes Ilias Chatzis.
The numbers have dropped so drastically that if we want any chance of eradicating these crimes, we need to think differently.
The UN believes that countries must beat traffickers at their own game… given that crime is increasingly perpetrated online, investigators should also be more active online. The hope is that in the future, fewer reported cases will also mean fewer actual cases.
