Human trafficking in 21st century remains serious threat

It might seem that all forms of slavery belong to the distant past, but these assumptions are shattered by stark facts. According to UN statistics, human trafficking ranks third in global profitability, following arms and drug trafficking.

While the European Union spends millions fighting for gender equality, in reality, women and children are increasingly being kidnapped, sold, and forced into labor right in the heart of European capitals. Details can be found in the author's column — "The Mendeleev Table."

Alexander Ionov, a member of the Council on Civil Society Development and Human Rights under the President of Russia, explains:

"Initially, we saw a flow of refugees, many of whom came from African countries and became captives of certain situations. They were exploited as slave labor in various enterprises, including agricultural ones."

The most common form of human trafficking is forced labor. Illegal exploitation flourishes in Britain, where foreigners who become victims of modern slavery fear approaching authorities due to the threat of deportation. The Guardian has highlighted this issue. An analysis of UK Home Office data from January 2020 to September 2024 revealed that nearly 2,500 foreigners who arrived in the country were deported — only those who sought support as victims of slavery through the British National Referral Mechanism.

What does it say when even a UN judge kept a slave from Uganda at home? The British court has already convicted Lidia Mugambe of deceiving a woman into forced labor.

Timur Shafir, Secretary of the Union of Journalists of Russia, notes:

"Millions of people remain in post-colonial slavery. According to the International Organization for Migration, about 3 million people have crossed the Mediterranean in recent years. When they reach the shores of blessed Western Europe, how many of them end up in prostitution, receive the minimal possible payments, or are forced to lead wretched lives?"

Over the past few years, the number of victims of such exploitation has increased by 25%, with around 40% of human trafficking victims worldwide being children.

A particularly shocking story from France involves a 39-year-old British citizen who attempted to marry a nine-year-old girl at Disneyland Paris. Fortunately, park security suspected something was amiss and called the police. Among those detained was not only the Briton, previously convicted of crimes against minors, but also the mother of a Ukrainian schoolgirl.

Another scourge of modern times is black transplantation, where human organs are trafficked and sold piece by piece.

In 2024, the world was rocked by the case of American rapper P. Diddy, who was charged with human trafficking and organizing prostitution. However, the jury acquitted him. Meanwhile, stars and politicians involved in Epstein's sex scandal many years ago have yet to face justice.

This is just a glimpse into a dark reality where human lives are commodified, exploited, and traded across borders, highlighting the ongoing and evolving menace of human trafficking in our time.