Trafficking in Human Beings in the European Union

Donna M Hughes

doi:10.1177/2158244014553585

Abstract

In this article, the intersection of gender, trafficking for sexual exploitation, and use of digital communication technologies are analyzed based on data from the European Union (EU). Over the past two decades, an increase in trafficking in human beings in the EU has been accompanied by an increase in the development and availability of digital communication technologies. The first statistical analysis of trafficking in human beings (2008-2010) carried out by the European Commission found 23,632 victims of human trafficking in the reporting member states. Eighty percent of victims were women and girls; 20% were men and boys. The majority of the victims (62%) were trafficked for sexual exploitation. Digital communication technologies are widely used for trafficking for sexual exploitation, and more rarely for trafficking for forced labor. This article concludes that the combination of gender, trafficking for sexual exploitation, and use of digital communication technologies has created a nexus of victimiz...

Highlights

Over the past 20 years, the use of digital communication technologies, the Internet, has greatly expanded criminals’ capacity to traffic human beings for different types of exploitation (Council of Europe, 2003; Hughes, 1996, 1999a; Latonero, 2011; Sykiotou, 2007)
Keywords trafficking in human beings, sexual exploitation, forced labor, digital communication technologies, Internet, European Union
Trafficking in human beings is a serious violation of the law and human rights that is frequently compared with slavery

Summary

Introduction

Over the past 20 years, the use of digital communication technologies, the Internet, has greatly expanded criminals’ capacity to traffic human beings for different types of exploitation (Council of Europe, 2003; Hughes, 1996, 1999a; Latonero, 2011; Sykiotou, 2007). Keywords trafficking in human beings, sexual exploitation, forced labor, digital communication technologies, Internet, European Union The majority of victims of forced begging, organ removal, criminal activity, and selling of children were female, there was a gradual increase in the number of males over the 3-year period (Eurostat, European Commission, 2013).

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