Countering Trafficking in Persons

Trafficking in Persons involves the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of persons through force, fraud, or coercion for the purposes of exploitation in forced labor or commercial sex. Human trafficking is the second largest criminal industry worldwide and affects the most vulnerable in our societies. Over 25 million people are estimated to be trafficking victims and 70 percent of identified victims are women and girls. Trafficking can occur in any industry or sector, but is more prominent in sectors that are unregulated or offer the potential for high profit relative to operating costs.