5 of the worst countries for human trafficking

The Worst Human Trafficking Offenders

Human trafficking is a multi-billion dollar enterprise, and it’s one of the fastest-growing illicit industries in the world. Each year, the U.N. marks World Day Against Trafficking in Persons to help raise awareness. The U.S. State Department annually investigates more than 100 countries for its Trafficking in Persons report. In the 2017 report, 23 countries were classified as Tier 3, the lowest classification for countries that “do not fully meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act’s minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so.” Here’s a look at five of the countries that are classified among the worst human trafficking offenders.

The giant Christ the Savior Cathedral dominates the skyline of downtown Moscow, Monday, Jan. 7, 2002 as Russians mark Christmas Day. The Russian and other eastern Orthodox churches adhere to the Julian calendar in which Christmas is celebrated Jan. 6 and 7 by the Western calender. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel) — **Russia**
The U.S. Congress-approved sanctions against Russian banks and oil companies also target North Korean labor in Russia and elsewhere. According to the report, Russia recently expanded bilateral agreements with North Korea that allow for labor camps and “slave-like conditions” for workers within Russian borders. About 20,000 workers from North Korea are sent to Russia each year. The country has been rated Tier 3 since 2013.
(AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

China China was downgraded to Tier 3 after three years on the Tier 2 Watch List. Chinese officials responded by calling the assessment “irresponsible.” The report cited gaps in state laws against human trafficking and ongoing state-sponsored forced labor despite formal announcements that the practice had been stopped. According to The Diplomat, demographic challenges created by the country’s one-child policy have led Chinese men to find wives through sex trafficking. (Thinkstock)

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