Human trafficking remains one of the world's most lucrative crimes, generating billions in illicit profits while exploiting the most vulnerable.

Organised criminal groups are responsible for 74% of detected trafficking cases, operating with growing sophistication.

These groups infiltrate legitimate industries such as agriculture, construction, and hospitality, exploiting regulatory loopholes and fuelling a culture of impunity. Forced labour now accounts for 42% of detected cases worldwide and 37% of cases in the EU, the highest level on record, while trafficking for forced criminality has multiplied over the past decade.

On 30 July, World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Diane Schmitt, EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, are calling for immediate and coordinated global action to dismantle the organised criminal networks at the core of this growing threat and ongoing human rights violation.

"Organised crime fuels human trafficking worldwide. Criminal networks exploit more victims, with greater violence, for longer and for higher profit than independent traffickers," says John Brandolino, Director of Treaty Affairs at UNODC. "We must build systems that detect human trafficking at an early stage, across borders and in all sectors, including the digital space," he adds.

Despite significant progress - including legislation criminalizing human trafficking in over 180 countries - implementation gaps persist. Detection rates remain low, victims often lack access to justice, and prosecutions and convictions are still limited.

To dismantle these criminal networks, countries need to work together, share resources, and make sure their laws lead to real change. The links between human trafficking and other crimes are also evident within the EU, with criminal networks becoming increasingly involved.

According to Europol, numerous criminal networks operating in the region are involved in human trafficking, often alongside other illicit activities such as drug trafficking, migrant smuggling, organised property crime, money laundering, and document fraud.

From an operational standpoint, cross-border cooperation between EU Member States and non-EU partners is vital for dismantling criminal networks involved in human trafficking and for ensuring the protection of victims.

"Combatting human trafficking requires a comprehensive and holistic approach and is a shared responsibility between different actors, including law enforcement and judicial authorities", says Diane Schmitt.

In a recent joint operation, European authorities safeguarded 1,194 potential victims, arrested 158 suspects, and identified 205 individuals suspected of involvement in human trafficking.

"As announced in ProtectEU: The European Internal Security Strategy, the European Commission will put forward a proposal to reinforce Europol, a new legal framework to fight organized crime, and a reinforced EU Strategy on combating trafficking in persons. These efforts underscore the EU's commitment to fostering security for its citizens," she adds.

The EU continues to be a key partner of UNODC and recognizes the need to strengthen global efforts against human trafficking.

Though EU-funded global initiatives, such as Promoting Action and Cooperation Among Countries at Global Level Against Trafficking in Human Beings and the Smuggling of Migrants (PACTS) and joint actions across Africa, Asia and the Middle East, UNODC trains investigators and prosecutors to dismantle criminal networks and ensure victims can access the justice they deserve.

An example of this cooperation is the first UNODC International Forum of Prosecutors countering human trafficking and migrant smuggling, which brought together prosecutors from more than 60 countries to strengthen investigations, disrupt trafficking networks, and protect victims.

According to UNODC data, over 50,000 victims were detected globally in 2021, with children comprising one in three of those identified.

Yet these numbers only scratch the surface - many victims are never recognized as such, silenced by fear, coercion, or systemic failures to identify, and support them. Barriers to justice keep their stories untold and their rights denied.

With EU support, UNODC also organized "Voices of Resilience" its first-ever Global Forum for Human Trafficking Survivors, which brought survivor leaders, representatives from governments, service providers and civil society organizations to chart a new course: one that puts survivors at the heart of anti-trafficking action.

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