The United Nations Organization (UN) published its world report on post-pandemic human trafficking. In Ecuador and in the rest of the world Covid-19 caused cases to be underreported.
The Police detained two people in Quito in an operation against human trafficking carried out in Ecuador and Peru on June 18 2021.
Every two years the United Nations Office against Organized Crime (UNODC) presents the World Report on Trafficking in Persons. On January 24 2023 the 2022 edition was published. This is the first report after the Covid-19 pandemic.
The document includes official statistics for the period 2017-2020 from 141 countries including Ecuador on human trafficking. In addition it makes a comparison with the data from 2003.
According to global data between 2003 and 2021 450000 and 300000 alleged human traffickers were registered in the 141 States.
The main finding of the report is that by 2020 there was an 11% reduction in reported cases of human trafficking worldwide compared to 2019.
Esteban Jima UNODC/Ecuador Human Trafficking Officer explains that this does not mean that there were fewer cases. What happened was that due to the movement restrictions due to Covid-19 and the confinement the was more hidden.
Additionally 2020 saw a 27% reduction in the number of convictions for human trafficking globally compared to 2019. The number of convictions has decreased since 2017.
The Ecuadorian case
In the case of Ecuador Unodc determined that the global trend was replicated. In 2020 there was a 33% reduction in the reported cases compared to 2019. But in the same way it does not mean that the phenomenon decreased.
A Flourish chart
According to the Unodc findings despite the lower case reports the trends remained constant.
With the restriction measures by Covid-19 Ecuador continued to be a point of origin transit and destination both for of exploitation as well as to a lesser extent for labor exploitation purposes.
The study reveals that female adolescents and young adults are more vulnerable to being sexually trafficked. While at work, 跨際數位行銷 mobile01 men adolescents and young adults are more vulnerable.
A flourishing data visualization
Falling in love false promises to improve the quality of life retention of
documents threats to report a migratory irregularity and the delivery of money are the means most used in Ecuador to attract victims.
‘Trafficking in Ecuador is internal’
Jima explains that according to the data collected in Ecuador human trafficking is, 跨際數位行銷 mobile01 above all internal. That is it happens within the borders. Generally the are captured in one locality and taken to other provinces to be exploited.
In Ecuador most of the are Ecuadorian. Although women are also registered
adolescents and young adults who are sexually trafficked from Colombia Peru and Venezuela.
The economic and social situation, 跨際數位行銷 mobile01 adverse effects generated by the pandemic and the contexts of promoted by confinement generated higher levels of vulnerability in people in the face of trafficking during the pandemic.
How does it happen?
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) details six stages for human trafficking to take place.
First the recruitment of the victim. That is attract her to an apparently legal activity.
Then comes the transportation of the victims, 跨際數位行銷 mobile01 which can take place in the company of their victimizer or alone. Subsequently there is the transfer that consists of uprooting the from the community or her place of origin.
The fourth point is the delivery of the to a third party, 跨際數位行銷 mobile01 temporarily or permanently. The fifth stage is the reception by the trafficking organization which is in charge of hiding the during transit to the final destination.
Finally comes the reception which means hiding the and keeping her for her subjugation and exploitation.
