2021 TIP Report
In releasing the 2021 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, siad:
“This year’s Trafficking in Persons Report sends a strong message to the world that global crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and enduring discriminatory policies and practices, have a disproportionate effect on individuals already oppressed by other injustices. These challenges further compound existing vulnerabilities to exploitation, including human trafficking. We must break this inhumane cycle of discrimination and injustices if we hope to one day eliminate human trafficking.”
The report notes that traffickers quickly adapt with traffickers targeting ” the growing number of people unable to mitigate, adapt to, or build resilience against the worsening economic and social effects; they also exploited situations where screening and identification of victims became even more difficult. This included individuals confined to their homes or workplaces, households in dire need of financial support, and workers in the informal sector. Traffickers targeted families experiencing financial difficulties and offered false promises and fraudulent job offers to recruit their children, while other families exploited or sold their children to traffickers to financially support themselves. Business owners and landlords pressured individuals to take out loans in exchange for cheap labor or commercial sexual exploitation. Additionally, traffickers sought to re-exploit survivors who became financially unstable and vulnerable to revictimization”.
Among the Topics of Special Interest included in the 2021 report are:
- Navigating the Unique Complexities in Familial Trafficking
- Unifying Trauma-Informed Practices and Voices of Survivor Leadership
- The Negative Impacts of Human Trafficking Misinformation
- The Role of the Financial Sector: Promising Practices in the Eradication of Trafficking in Persons
- The Kafala System
- Forced Labor in China’s Xinjiang Region
Each year the report names a number of TIP Heroes. ACRATH congratulates the 2021 TIP Heroes. In particular we acknowledge ACRATH’s friend and colleague at RENATE, Sr Imelda Poole ibvm. In 2005 Imelda established the anti-trafficking NGO Mary Ward Loreto (MWL) in Albania. MWL addresses the root causes of human trafficking, focusing on communities where Roma, migrants, women, and children are most vulnerable. More than 3,000 women have been helped through MWA. Imelda’s passion and commitment are an inspiration to all of us in the anti-trafficking network.
Download a copy of the full report here.
