While it is impossible to truly know the full scope and impact of human trafficking and slavery in Africa, we do know that women and children are the primary victims -overwhelmingly so for sexual exploitation but also for forced labour – however, men are not immune to this crime.
The extent of human traffickingis difficult to assess due to the hidden nature of these offences, the reluctance of victims and witnesses to come forward to law enforcement and the difficulty of identifying victims in practice. Moreover, these cases often go unnoticed and unreported due to manipulation, fear, threats from traffickers, shame, language barriers or mistrust of authorities.
As part of our longstanding commitment to protect the vulnerable, tackle crime and safeguard all victims from slavery and trafficking, we are taking action against these terrible crimes.
In line with internationally accepted best practices, we focus on five core areas.