Message by the Director General of the International Organization for Migration on World Day against Trafficking in Persons

30 July 2023

Human trafficking is a global crime that impacts people of all ages, gender and nationalities.

IOM’s Counter-Trafficking Data Collaborative includes data on over 150,000 trafficked victims identified by IOM and partners between 2002 and 2021, but the real number is likely much higher.

According to the Global Report on Child Trafficking, nearly half of child trafficking cases assisted by IOM take place in the victims’ own countries.

Moreover, 94% of the victims detected are trafficked by perpetrators from within their regions, according to the world’s first public dataset on victims and perpetrators of trafficking developed by IOM and Microsoft.

Climate change, disasters and the ongoing crises and conflicts continue to leave people vulnerable and at increased risk of trafficking.

IOM has directly assisted over 100,000 trafficked persons in the last 25 years and advanced knowledge on trafficking to foster targeted, effective, and evidence-based counter-trafficking policies and actions.

However, despite significant advancements towards preventing trafficking in persons, protecting those affected, prosecuting perpetrators, and building strong partnerships, much remains to be done.

As a long-standing member and current co-chair of the Inter-Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons, and jointly with the UN Network on Migration, we remain committed to end human trafficking and keep victims and survivors at the centre of our work.

On this World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, I call for our joint action and strong partnerships, to leave no one behind.

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For additional questions, please contact:

Dovlet Chariyev

IOM Communication Focal Point

E-mail: dchariyev@iom.int

Tel:+99312 488407