GLOBAL REPORT ON TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 2016 UNITED NATIONS OFFICE ON DRUGS AND CRIME Vienna Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2016 UNITED NATIONS New York, 2016 This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or non-profit purposes without special permission from the copyright holder, provided acknowledgement of the source is made. Suggested citation: UNODC, Global Report on Trafficking in Persons 2016 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.16.IV.6). Comments on the report are welcome and can be sent to: Crime Research Section Research and Trend Analysis Branch Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime P.O. Box 500 1400 Vienna Austria E-mail: [email protected] Tel.: (+43) 1 26060 0 Fax: (+43) 1 26060 75223 The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views or poli- cies of UNODC, Member States or contributory organizations, and nor does it imply any endorsement. This document has not been formally edited. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expres- sion of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. © United Nations, December 2016. All rights reserved, worldwide. Photos © UNODC UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Sales No. E.16.IV.6 ISBN: 978-92-1-130339-1 e-ISBN: 978-92-1-058408-1 PREFACE Since the last Global Report on Trafficking in Persons in Traffickers may target anyone who can be exploited in 2014 there have been a number of significant develop- their own countries or abroad. When foreigners are traf- ments that reinforce this report’s importance, and place it ficked, we know that human trafficking flows broadly at the heart of international efforts undertaken to combat follow the migratory patterns. We know from the report human trafficking. Perhaps the most worrying develop- that some migrants are more vulnerable than others, such ment is that the movement of refugees and migrants, the as those from countries with a high level of organized largest seen since World War II, has arguably intensified crime or from countries affected by conflicts. Just as tragi- since 2014. As this crisis has unfolded, and climbed up cally, 79 per cent of all detected trafficking victims are the global agenda, there has been a corresponding recog- women and children. From 2012-2014, more than 500 nition that, within these massive migratory movements, different trafficking flows were detected and countries in are vulnerable children, women and men who can be easily Western and Southern Europe detected victims of 137 exploited by smugglers and traffickers. different citizenships. These figures recount a worrying story of human trafficking occurring almost everywhere. Other changes are more positive. In September 2015, the world adopted the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda In terms of the different types of trafficking, sexual exploi- and embraced goals and targets on trafficking in persons. tation and forced labour are the most prominent. But the These goals call for an end to trafficking and violence report shows that trafficking can have numerous other against children; as well as the need for measures against forms including: victims compelled to act as beggars, human trafficking, and they strive for the elimination of forced into sham marriages, benefit fraud, pornography all forms of violence against and exploitation of women production, organ removal, among others. In response, and girls. Thanks to the 2030 Agenda, we now have an many countries have criminalized most forms of traffick- underpinning for the action needed under the provisions ing as set out in the UN Trafficking in Persons Protocol. of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized The number of countries doing this has increased from Crime, and its protocols on trafficking in persons and 33 in 2003 to 158 in 2016. Such an exponential increase migrant smuggling. is welcomed and it has helped to assist the victims and to prosecute the traffickers. Another important development is the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants, which produced the groundbreak- Unfortunately, the average number of convictions remains ing New York Declaration. Of the nineteen commitments low. UNODC’s findings show that there is a close cor- adopted by countries in the Declaration, three are dedi- relation between the length of time the trafficking law has cated to concrete action against the crimes of human traf- been on the statute books and the conviction rate. This ficking and migrant smuggling. UNODC’s report is also is a sign that it takes time, as well as resources, and exper- the last before the world gathers in 2017 at the UN Gen- tise to chase down the criminals. Perhaps the 2016 eral Assembly for the essential evaluation of the Global Report’s main message is that inroads have been made Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons. These into this horrendous crime. We must, however, continue decisive steps forward are helping to unite the world and to generate much needed cooperation and collaboration produce much needed international cooperation against at the international level, and the necessary law enforce- trafficking in persons. ment skills at the national and regional levels to detect, investigate and successfully prosecute cases of trafficking But, to have tangible success against the criminals, to sever in persons. The 2016 report has done a fine job of setting the money supplies, to entertain joint operations and out the situation, but there is more to be done. mutual legal assistance, we must first understand the tex- ture and the shape of this global challenge. The Global Report on Trafficking in Persons does exactly this. It pro- vides a detailed picture of the situation through solid anal- ysis and research. The findings are disturbing. Yury Fedotov Executive Director United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 1 Acknowledgements The 2016 Global Report on Trafficking in Persons was prepared by the UNODC Crime Research Section under the supervision of Jean-Luc Lemahieu, Director of the Division for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs and Angela Me, Chief of the Research and Trend Analysis Branch. Core team Kristiina Kangaspunta, Fabrizio Sarrica, Tejal Jesrani, Raggie Johansen, Cecilia Manzotti. Graphic design, layout and mapping support Suzanne Kunnen, Kristina Kuttnig. The Crime Research Section wishes to thank the UNODC Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Section for their careful reviews and constructive comments on draft content, and the Section’s interns, Tomas Horehaj, Julia Litzkow and Gamze Subasi, who have all made solid contributions to the 2016 Global Report. Moreover, valuable inputs were received from many focal points for trafficking in persons/organized crime at various UNODC Field Offices; inputs that have clearly enriched the report, and for that, we are grateful. The report also benefited from the work and expertise of many other UNODC staff members in Vienna and around the world. UNODC wishes to thank the artist Yasser Rezahi who generously donated the artwork used for this Report. Photos of artwork by Johannes Kittel. Infographs contain pictograms from Leremy/Shutterstock. CONTENTS Executive summary 5 Introduction 13 CHAPTER I - GLOBAL OVERVIEW PATTERNS OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 23 TRAFFICKING FLOWS 39 THE LEGISLATIVE AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESPONSE TO TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS 47 CHAPTER II HUMAN TRAFFICKING, MIGRATION AND CONFLICT 57 CHAPTER III WESTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE 71 EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA 84 NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN 89 SOUTH AMERICA 97 EAST ASIA AND THE PACIFIC 102 SOUTH ASIA 109 SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA 112 NORTH AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST 118 TEXT BOXES The Sustainable Development Goals and trafficking in persons 30 Trafficking in persons for marriage 32 The use of detected cases of trafficking in persons to draw patterns and flows 39 Multiple Systems Estimate: an innovative way to help assess the real extent of trafficking in persons 47 Trafficking of migrants for extortion and organ removal on some African routes 62 Trafficking for forced labour in the fishing industry 104 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1) NO COUNTRY IS IMMUNE Diffusion of trafficking flows: number FROM TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS of countries where citizens of countries in the given subregions Victims are trafficked along a multitude of trafficking were detected, 2012-2014 flows; within countries, between neighbouring countries 80 or even across different continents. More than 500 differ- 69 ent trafficking flows were detected between 2012 and 70 64 2014. 60 56 50 Countries in Western and Southern Europe detected vic- 50 tims of 137 different citizenships. Affluent areas – such 40 38 35 as Western and Southern Europe, North America and the 32 29 30 Middle East - detect victims from a large number of coun- tries around the world. 20 10 Trafficking victims from countries in Sub-Saharan Africa Number of countries detecting and East Asia are trafficked to a wide range of destina- 0 tions. A total of 69 countries reported to have detected victims from Sub-Saharan Africa between 2012 and 2014. Africa the Pacific Victims from Sub-Saharan Africa were mainly detected Asia South Sub-Saharan Western and Western in Africa, the Middle East and Western and Southern and Asia East South America South Eastern Europe