If it weren’t for border guards, public officials and other entities turning a blind eye in exchange for money or sexual favors – or being extorted themselves – human trafficking could not occur on a large scale, according to a new report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) released Monday.
It analyzes more than 120 cases involving nearly 80 countries (based on consultations with policymakers, prosecutors, investigators and independent experts from more than 30 countries) to expose the “hidden links” between human trafficking and corruption.
Cloak of corruption
Human trafficking can include sexual exploitation, forced labor, forced begging, organ harvesting, and even illegal adoption, among other forms of exploitation.
The report demonstrates how corruption permeates and facilitates every stage of human trafficking.
During recruitment and transportation, corrupt officials provide documentation, overlook irregularities, and collude with fraudulent recruitment agencies and organized criminal groups.
At border crossings, bribes and corruptly obtained documents allow people to move between jurisdictions.
Asking for help may seem difficult or impossible once a person is exploited. Corruption protects operations in industries such as agriculture, construction, fishing, and domestic work, and helps keep trafficking victims in situations of forced labor, sexual exploitation, and forced crime.
Finally, corruption obstructs anti-trafficking efforts, from police investigations and prosecutions to judicial decisions and victim assistance.
Breaking the cycle
UNODC supports countries to break the cycle of corruption and human trafficking, including by ensuring that national legislation applies harsher penalties when public officials are involved in trafficking and establishing safe reporting mechanisms for victims.
Other UN agencies are also supporting the effort. Supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Moldova announced last week that it is strengthening its capacity to identify and stop cross-border crimes, including human trafficking, through the new headquarters of its Passenger Information Unit (PIU).
The PIU is equipped with advanced UN software that improves passenger data collection, analysis and rapid response. Moldova is the seventh country to adopt this system, following in the footsteps of Norway, Luxembourg, Botswana, Georgia, Philippines and Mongolia.