An estimated 50 million people worldwide are currently victims of human trafficking, and these numbers are only global estimates of the phenomenon, which generates more than $150 billion in illicit revenue annually.

The figures were given on Tuesday in an address by Prime Minister Nicolae Chuke to the international conference “Common Challenges and New Perspectives in the Fight against Human Trafficking” organized by the government.

• “Human trafficking is a global scourge that manifests itself in the most unpredictable forms and affects our most vulnerable citizens, including a disproportionate number of children and women.
• An estimated 50 million people worldwide are currently victims of human trafficking, and these numbers are only global estimates of the phenomenon, which generates more than $150 billion in illicit revenue annually.
• Human trafficking is often seen as a form of modern slavery and is unfortunately one of the fastest growing forms of crime, including at the European level, and new technologies, migration flows, as well as the COVID 19 crisis have created risks and additional challenges at the European and international level levels,” Chuke said in his message.

According to him, over 14,000 victims have been registered in the European Union in recent years, of which 72% are women and girls, and children make up almost a quarter, i.e. 22% of registered victims.

• “The vast majority of them have been trafficked for sexual exploitation, and almost three-quarters of traffickers registered, prosecuted or convicted are men, the vast majority of whom are EU nationals.
• Traffickers are constantly adapting and often changing their methods in real time. They exploit the under-resourced, the unprotected and the most vulnerable. We already know that the COVID pandemic has led to increased exploitation of children online and has had a significant negative impact on prevention efforts, prosecutions and victim protection,” the Prime Minister said in the same message, according to Agerpres. .