Human Trafficking in 2024: Trends and Patterns

Human Trafficking in 2024: Trends and Patterns

The webinar’s panelists discussed emerging forms of trafficking, regional patterns, survivor-centered responses, and the ways climate change and technology are reshaping risks. Their comments describe trends they expected to continue or intensify in 2024.

Climate Change and Trafficking

Martha Fan described how climate-related hardship can deepen vulnerability to exploitation. In Peru, illegal gold mining and logging rely on forced labor and worsen environmental damage, undermining Indigenous communities’ livelihoods and increasing risks of forced labor, child marriage, and sexual exploitation.

In Ethiopia, drought can push people to migrate along dangerous routes toward the Gulf, where they face risks including forced labor, sex trafficking, domestic servitude, and forced begging. In the Philippines, typhoons and limited capacity to prepare for or recover from disasters can leave people vulnerable to trafficking and other exploitation, including child labor and online sexual exploitation.

The presentation argued that reducing climate-related vulnerability should be part of anti-trafficking work.

Forced Criminality in Scam Compounds

George Hanock focused on compounds where trafficking victims are coerced into online fraud, including romance and cryptocurrency scams. Victims are often recruited with fake job offers, then have their passports taken and are made to work long hours under threats, violence, and debt bondage.

These schemes harm two groups: the people defrauded and the trafficked people forced to commit the fraud. The compounds are concentrated in parts of Southeast Asia, particularly in poorly governed areas and special economic zones, but were reported to be spreading internationally.

The panel discussion highlighted the use of social media, cryptocurrency, AI translation tools, and deepfakes by criminal networks. Possible responses include sanctions, international law-enforcement operations, open-source intelligence, and tracing cryptocurrency transactions. Obstacles include cross-border jurisdictional problems and authorities treating trafficking victims as criminals.

Trafficking Patterns and Responses in Nigeria

Shilian Iazu identified family-based and internal trafficking as growing concerns, alongside exploitation in domestic servitude, “baby factories,” and prostitution. Social media is increasingly used for recruitment, and some trafficking victims are pressured into recruiting others. She also noted that routes are changing as traffickers move toward places receiving less attention.

Major barriers include corruption, limited resources, inadequate awareness and data, weak implementation of laws, and the vulnerability of internally displaced people and migrants.

Iazu pointed to progress in border checks, community engagement, shelters, psychosocial support, and survivor-led awareness efforts. She called for stronger penalties, better protection for people who report trafficking, and meaningful involvement and funding for survivor-led organizations.

Survivor Engagement and Rehabilitation

Suti Suta Saharia argued that effective policy should be informed not only by a person’s trafficking experience but also by their rehabilitation and return to community life. A frontline organization’s intake process considers practical and personal needs, including housing, food, health, education, income, family relationships, emotional wellbeing, and legal support.

With support, survivors can learn to access public services, seek compensation, or file complaints—and may later help others do the same. Saharia noted that some prefer to be described as “right-holders” rather than “survivors,” emphasizing that their rights were violated.

Survivor engagement is important, he said, but should complement broader efforts addressing related issues such as violence against women, child marriage, and lack of livelihoods.

Voluntary Return for Nepali Women in India

Katherine Fuer presented research on voluntary repatriation as an alternative or addition to rescue for Nepali women in commercial sexual exploitation in India. She said established trafficking routes and a rescue-focused approach remain largely unchanged, but many adult women do not want to be rescued or placed in restrictive shelters.

In her research, all participating women said they would stop sex work if free to do so, 89.5% wanted to return to Nepal, and 63% reported already travelling between the countries. Fuer argued that services should better address the circumstances of adult women, including employment, children’s housing needs, and personal choice.

The presentation called for voluntary exit and return to be recognized alongside rescue, and for support to be person-centered rather than dependent on residence in a shelter. Rescue may remain appropriate for newly trafficked children and young women, while other pathways are needed for women who have lived in exploitation for many years.

Closing Discussion

In the closing discussion, speakers emphasized collaboration across countries and organizations, more meaningful survivor leadership, and using technology for prevention and investigation. Suggested approaches included sharing survivor-informed guidance in local languages, analyzing online recruitment patterns, and using satellite imagery to help locate trafficking compounds.

Presenters and Contributors

• Martha Fan — Moderator; Orion Policy Institute research fellow and research officer at Freda Slaves
• George Hanock — Project Officer, Humanity Research Consultancy
• Shilian Iazu — Founder, Female Returned Migrants Network
• Suti Suta Saharia — Independent researcher
• Katherine Fuer — Master’s research fellow, University of Nottingham