Human trafficking, 63% of victims are women

"The number of convicted traffickers increased in the EU by 10.1 per cent from 2,097 in 2022 to 2,309 in 2023, and the number of people convicted of trafficking increased in 15 EU countries (out of 26 that provided data for both years)."

There is another aspect that the Eurostat report highlights. This is the fact that, in 2023, 63.3% of the registered victims of human trafficking in the EU were women or girls. The share of women and girls increased from the previous year (62.8% in 2022). The proportion of women among traffickers is much lower than the proportion of men. In 2023, among suspected traffickers, 24.2% were women (23.2% in 2022) and 23% of those convicted were also women (21.6% in 2022).

Analysing the figure for victims of human trafficking per million shows that there were 24 registered victims in 2023, compared to 23 in 2022. The highest rates were observed in Luxembourg (157), Greece (51), the Netherlands (49), Austria (47) and Sweden (45), while the lowest rates were observed in Croatia and Lithuania (5) and the Czech Republic (2).

'Higher rates could be linked to an increased capacity of the judiciary and the social system to identify victims,' it goes on to say. 'This can be seen in Luxembourg, where previous efforts, including a proactive attitude by labour inspectors who participated in mandatory training courses on human trafficking, contributed to the identification of more victims'.

One aspect that is emphasised concerns labour exploitation, which 'is almost equal to sexual exploitation'.

"Among the registered victims whose form of exploitation was reported, sexual exploitation was the predominant form of exploitation in 2023, at 43.8 per cent, although the share of sexual exploitation gradually decreased over the period 2008-2023," the study continues. Between 2008 and 2018 the share of victims trafficked for forced labour and services was between 14% and 21% and from 2019 onwards the share was between 28% and 41%. Organ removal and other exploitative purposes, including use for benefit fraud, criminal activities and forced begging, were at 20.2% in 2023'.

In Italy, adopted in 2022, there is the National Action Plan against trafficking and serious exploitation 2022-2025. This is the device that contains the 'measures' against trafficking in persons and 'proposes to define 'multiannual intervention strategies for preventing and combating the phenomenon of trafficking and the serious exploitation of human beings, as well as actions aimed at awareness-raising, social prevention, and the emergence and social integration of victims'. In this scenario there are also the activities implemented by the regions and associations. Among the many initiatives are those promoted by Tuscany, where consultancies play an important role, as well as street units, outpatient clinics and counters for migrants, which 'represent an ideal place for the identification of victims of trafficking and or exploitation'.

'Some factors, seemingly insignificant, may suggest the hypothesis that we are dealing with a victim'. From Emilia Romagna to Sardinia, passing through Lazio and Campania and also other regions, anti-violence counters of voluntary associations operate where trained volunteers also deal with trafficking. As for the functioning, as clarified by the Piedmont Region, 'The person requesting international protection identified as a victim of trafficking has the right to access the single programme of emersion, assistance and social integration and to be accommodated in a protected facility managed by an organisation authorised to carry out this programme. However, if the victim's safety is not at risk, "reception may possibly continue in a shelter for applicants for international protection, provided that it is suitable to host vulnerable persons".

In Spain, 1,794 trafficking victims, including 32 minors, were identified in 419 investigations in 2024, according to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior. The authorities arrested 966 suspects and dismantled 110 criminal groups. The most significant increase was in the number of victims, which rose by 22%, mainly due to labour exploitation.

The gender distribution shows that 56% of the victims are women and 44% men, with Colombians predominating in both groups. Among those arrested, 61% are men, mostly Spanish nationals, followed by Colombians, with women most often accused in the Colombian group.

In the area of trafficking and sexual exploitation, 632 victims were identified, 98% of whom were women, mainly from Latin America (79%), particularly Colombia and Venezuela. The 188 investigations in this area led to 525 arrests and the dismantling of 77 criminal organisations.

Despite a slight increase of 2% in the number of victims of sexual exploitation, many other indicators related to this form of trafficking, such as arrests and number of victims, decreased between 3% and 13% compared to 2023.

The Ministry of the Interior, in cooperation with NGOs such as APRAMP and the Ana Bella Foundation, launched media campaigns to raise awareness of the phenomenon of trafficking for sexual exploitation, emphasising the vulnerability of women and girls.

*This article is part of the European collaborative journalism project "Pulse".