As the world has continued to transform digitally, so have traffickers who have kept pace by developing sophisticated systems and using technology to commit criminal activities, at every stage of the process, from recruiting, exploiting and controlling victims to transferring the profits of their criminal activities. Rapid technological change presents opportunities for traffickers to adapt their modus operandi, taking advantage of digital platforms to target their victims.

As one in every three victims of trafficking detected globally is a child, and one in five girls and one in 13 boys are reportedly sexually exploited or abused before reaching the age of 18, it is evident that children are vulnerable to exploitation by criminals, including traffickers. As a result of school closures and lockdown measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in many parts of the world, children had extended periods of screen time and unsupervised Internet access, with more younger children than ever before being introduced to digital platforms. This has increased the risk of children being exposed to, among others, technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Aware of the risks of detection, traffickers are using encrypted and anonymised online services to perpetrate crime in an environment of secrecy. Technology allows traffickers to operate across borders and in multiple locations simultaneously and can offer a single trafficker opportunities and channels to connect a victim with many potential buyers of exploitative services, gaining access to an increased pool of customers. This ability to transcend multiple jurisdictions makes detecting, investigating and prosecuting technology-facilitated trafficking in persons difficult.

ICAT Calls on States to Harness the Opportunities Presented by Technology to Counter Trafficking in Persons -The Inter-Agency Coordination Group Against Trafficking in Persons, 2022 DOWNLOAD

post

page

attachment

revision

nav_menu_item

custom_css

customize_changeset

oembed_cache

user_request

wp_block

acf-field-group

acf-field

ai1ec_event

Handbook on Performance Indicators for Counter-Trafficking Projects – International Organization for Migration
GuidanceStandards & Codes of ConductGood Practices

This handbook is a resource and guide for project managers, developers, implementers, evaluators and donors working in the field of counter-trafficking, who want to develop performance indicators for their counter-trafficking projects. It is not int...Read More

Voices of the Invisible Citizens: A Rapid Assessment of the Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Internal Migrant Workers
COVID-19 resourcesGuidance

The 21-day lockdown has inadvertently exposed the extreme vulnerability of migrant workers in India. The construction sector contributes to around 9% of the country's GDP and employs the highest number of migrant workers across India with 55 million...Read More

Labor trafficking on specific temporary work visas: A data analysis 2018-2020
Guidance

Temporary work visas are intended to provide decent jobs to migrant workers while helping U.S. businesses meet their labor needs by filling mostly low-wage jobs that would otherwise sit vacant. Policymakers often refer to the migrants who come to th...Read More

Labor Inspection Training on Child Labor – Panama
Guidance

This facilitator’s guide provides tips and advice to help facilitators successfully use the curriculum for Labour Inspection Training on Child Labour in Panama. It describes the purpose and objectives of the training; provides an overview of t...Read More