7,000 human trafficking victims registered in EU annually

An average of 7,000 human trafficking victims are registered in the EU annually, the European Commission has said.

This information is contained on its website.

The Commission on October 18 during the Anti-Trafficking Day, launched an awareness raising campaign to help put an end to the trafficking in human beings.

“This campaign aims to help end the trafficking of human beings by raising awareness of this type of crime, which deprives people of their fundamental rights,” the Commission said on its website.

On the average, it said, 7,000 victims of human trafficking are registered in the EU every year. “But many more go undetected. More than 50% are EU citizens, who fall victims to different forms of trafficking such as sexual exploitation, labour exploitation, and forced begging.”

The Commission described human trafficking as a violent offence committed by “individuals or organised criminal networks that are operating internationally. It may generate up to EUR 14 billion per year for traffickers, for sexual exploitation alone.

“Ending human trafficking is a priority for the EU and its partners. Every person’s contribution could be decisive in the fight against trafficking in human beings.”

Break the invisible chain

There is an invisible chain that links trafficking networks, victims and those who use trafficked victims’ services, often unknowingly.

The first step to break the chain is to raise awareness – prevent trafficking in the first place by informing potential victims and making the victims of this crime visible.

But there is more that you can do:

recognise the signs that somebody might be a victim of human trafficking;
be careful not to use the services of trafficked people;
report a suspected case of human trafficking;
provide immediate support to the victims themselves.
You can also help raise awareness by becoming a part of the ‘End human trafficking. Break the invisible chain’ campaign.