TRAFFICKING FACTS
what is human trafficking?
Human trafficking is the second-largest criminal activity in the world (sometimes bumped to third by arms trafficking), profiting close to U$D32 billion per year. It is characterized by the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some sort of labor or sexual act.
There are many ways a trafficker will obtain a victim, whether through a fraudulent offer of a high-paying job, a "relationship," or, more rare, a flat-out kidnapping. Despite the various avenues, the crime of human trafficking remains the same. The intricate networks that traffickers have built are underground and very hard to track. We estimate that 70% of enslaved persons are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation. Women and girls make up the majority of victims, and the average age for a girl to be groomed into the world of sex trafficking is approximately 12.
99% of victims are never rescued.
The buying and selling of human beings is illegal in South America. Prostitution is also illegal. However, Argentina is, according to the UN TIP Report, a Tier 2 country. This basically means that while Argentina complies with the minimum UN requirements of anti-trafficking laws, it is not fully and legally equipped to protect its citizens against traffickers, arrest those involved in human trafficking, or convict those found guilty. The report lists law enforcement corruption as a possible reason for this rating.
Argentina has a population of approximately 44 million people. Their capital city of Buenos Aires houses between 3 and 8 million of those 44 million. An estimated 500,000 people are trafficked to, through, and from Buenos Aires every day. The five government-run shelters is simply not sufficient.
*Please note that because human trafficking is an underground business, it is impossible to provide flawless statistics for this crime. We are providing a few of these numbers solely to raise awareness about the problem of human trafficking in Argentina and globally, and we update as often as possible. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you have regarding the information provided.
