Perilous
Times
Up to 27 million trapped in slavery worldwide
By Catherine Hornby | Reuters
ROME (Reuters) - Up to 27 million people are modern-day slaves,
and migrants fleeing violence in North Africa are among those most
at risk of being exploited, a senior U.S. official said on
Wednesday.
Countries where migrants arrive should try to identify potential
victims and protect them, rather than opting for immediate
repatriation which often sends them back into the hands of human
traffickers, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large Luis CdeBaca said.
Tens of thousands of migrants are fleeing turmoil in North Africa,
with many trying to reach Europe by boat, but the problem of
slavery exists all over the world and India, Thailand and Malaysia
are among the worst-affected countries.
The European Union has urged African border authorities to bolster
controls to prevent human smugglers taking advantage of the
situation.
But CdeBaca, who directs the U.S. Department of State's Office to
Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, said it was more
effective to fight slavery in the countries where the victims are
exploited.
"You don't fight trafficking on the borders, because people don't
yet know they are trafficking victims, it's only when they get to
where they are going that they are enslaved," he said at a
conference organised by the U.S. embassy to the Vatican.
"People should be keeping an eye on where these refugees end up,
what kind of jobs they are being put into and how they are being
treated," he said.
He estimated between 12.5 and 27 million people are trapped in
slavery around the world, ranging from children forced to work as
domestic servants or in sweatshops to women coerced into
prostitution.
Speakers at the conference stressed the need for more cooperation
between governments, companies and religious groups to prevent
more people from falling victim to the slave trade.
"The criminal organisations that prey on men, women and children
are highly organised and well connected from one part of the world
to the other," said Sister Estrella Castalone, who coordinates
anti-trafficking group Talitha Kum.
"It is only through an equally well organised network that links
the countries of origin to those of transit and destination, that
we can prevent the weakest and the most vulnerable from becoming a
human commodity."
The Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility said it was
pressing businesses to scrutinise their supply chains and ensure
their labour contracts included clear language to prevent human
trafficking.
It called for more public reporting on the measures firms are
taking to fight slavery.
(Editing by Michel Rose)