Over 23,000 people were identified or presumed to be victims of trafficking in the EU between 2008 and 2010, according to a new study recently published by the European Commission. Human trafficking rose during the period, by 18 percent, while the number of convictions achieved fell by 13 percent. Most trafficking victims of EU origin came from Romania and Bulgaria, according to the EC.

The EC's new report, the first of its kind, is damming in its criticism of Europe's nations and governments. Along with the worrying figures – more trafficking, less traffickers facing justice – EU Member States are failing to take the issue seriously, according to the EC. “It is difficult to imagine that in our free and democratic EU countries tens of thousands of human beings can be deprived of their liberty and exploited, traded as commodities for profit. But this is the sad truth and trafficking in human beings is all around us, closer than we think,” said EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström.

Only 6 out of the 27 EU Member States have fully transposed the EU Anti-Trafficking Directive into national legislation, while a further three countries report partial transposition of the directive. The deadline to implement the directive expired on April 6 this year, according to the EC. “I am very disappointed to see that, despite these alarming trends, only a few countries have implemented the anti-trafficking legislation and I urge those who have not yet done so to respect their obligations,” said Commissioner Malmström.

Most, nearly 70 percent, of the victims were women, around 17 percent were men, 12 percent girls and 3 percent were boys. By far the most common motive for human trafficking is connected with sexual exploitation, more than 60 percent, while forced labor came second, some 25 percent. Other motives, such as trafficking for the removal of organs, for criminal activity or for selling children follow with much smaller percentages (14 percent). Most victims, again over 60 percent, were from the EU, with Romania and Bulgaria as mentioned above being the most common origin of victims. The most common countries of origin for trafficking from outside the EU were Nigeria and China.

The traffickers themselves are usually male (75 percent). Despite the rise in trafficking, the total estimated number of traffickers fell between 2008 and 2010, by an estimated 17 percent. Some 84 percent of suspected traffickers are involved in sexual exploitation.

Liam Lever, liam@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Photoxpress.com)