There are over 12 million child slaves in the world

There are almost 50 million people in slavery in the world, of which over 12 million are minors.And the data is worsening according to the Save the Children report.

• Nearly 50 million people are trapped in networks of exploitation and enslavement, with 12.3 million minors involved.
• As for forced marriages, 22 million people are victims of it.
• In 2024, 1,150 new assessments of alleged victims have already been carried out in Italy, of which 5.4 percent were minors.

I'm almost 50 million people around the world involved in networks of subjugation and enslavement, of which 12.3 million minors.These are the dramatic data that emerge in relationship “Little invisible slaves” by Save the Children, published on the occasion of the Day against Trafficking in Persons on 30 July.

The report, which offers a detailed analysis of the human trafficking with particular attention to minors, underlines that the latter are involved above all in the forms of forced labor, intended for the purposes of sexual exploitation, labor and illicit activities.And in forced marriages.No geographical area is spared, not even theItaly.And the phenomenon is getting worse.

Work and forced marriages

Save the Children, on the occasion of Day against human trafficking of July 30, published the fourteenth edition of the report “Piccoli Schiavi Invisibili”.The document offers a summary of recent developments regarding the phenomenon of deals with and exploitation at the level international and Italian, highlighting the trends and evolutions of the phenomenon in its various forms.

Globally, it is estimated that almost 50 million people are trapped in networks of exploitation and enslavement, with 12.3 million minors involved.Approximately 27.6 million people are subject to forced labor, divided into 11.8 million women, 12.5 million men and 3.3 million minors.These data, collected by the International Labor Organization (ILO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the NGO Walk Free, indicate that the 12 percent of the total victims are young people under the age of majority.In particular, 1.69 million minors are victims of sexual exploitation, another 1.31 million are involved in labor exploitation and illegal activities and 320 thousand in forms of coercion such as forced labor for prisoners or political dissidents, or members of ethnic or religious minorities persecuted by the State.

As for the forced marriages, they are well 22 million the people who are victims of it, with an increase of 6.6 million of units from 2016 to 2021 and a prevalence of women, which represent almost 70 percent of cases.Geographically, this phenomenon mainly affects Eastern Asia with 14.2 million people, followed by Africa with 3.2 million people and Europe and Central Asia with 2.3 million.Most forced marriages are organized by parents of the victims, equal to 73 percent of cases, or from close relatives, in 16 percent of cases.

Observing the evolution of the phenomenon of trafficking, Save the children underlines that between 2016 and 2021 There has been an increase in estimates of people affected globally.

The little slaves Europe

In Europe, in the five-year period 2017-2021, were approximately 29 thousand people who are victims of  exploitation.In 53 percent of cases, trafficking occurs by labor exploitation, in 43 percent per sexual exploitation and in 4 percent it concerns other forms of exploitation such as begging or illicit activities. 

Minors represent the 16 percent of victims of trafficking in Europe.And boys and girls are more subject to forms of psychological, physical and sexual abuse than adult victims.As Save the Children points out, 69 percent of child male and female survivors suffer some form of psychological control, 52 percent are threatened and deceived through false promises, while 46 percent are subjected to a form of physical control.

And Italy?

Ample space is also dedicated in the Save the Children report toItaly.The non-governmental organization underlines that based on the data shared by the national toll-free number to help victims of trafficking and/or serious exploitation, in Italy in 2023 they happened 2,628 new ratings with people potentially victims of trafficking, recording a slightly increasing trend compared to the 2,548 in 2022 and the 2,427 in 2021.

Minors represent approximately 3.1 percent of those taken in charge in 2023, an increase compared to 2022 when they were 1.6 percent of the total.Parallel to the increase in minors, there is also a progressive increase in the age of adults benefiting from social protection programs.Among the first most significant items in terms of exploitation, it is highlighted that in 33.1 percent of cases people are victims of sexual exploitation and in 29.1 percent of labor exploitation.In 24.9 percent of cases, the people taken into care are victims who were recruited and arrived in the country of destination, but not yet concretely subjected to exploitation.

If you look at the 2024, were carried out in the first five months of the year 1,150 new ratings of alleged victims.Compared to the previous two years, the number of new assessments has increased slightly.The same goes for minors.The minors assessed in these first five months of 2024 were 62, representing the 5.4 percent of the total.The values ​​were respectively 4.2 percent from 1 January to 31 May 2022 and 3.8 percent from 1 January to 31 May 2023.

Save the Children's appeal

“We ask all the competent institutions to strengthen their commitment to combat the human trafficking, with particular attention to minor victims", is the appeal of Save the children on the sidelines of the report "Little invisible slaves".

Among the requests there is in particular that of implementing and updating the actions of the National action plan against trafficking and serious exploitation of human beings 2022-2025, strengthening the commitment to delve deeper into the emerging phenomena on child trafficking and including new forms of trafficking.And then ensure that the procedures referrals for the identification of minor victims of trafficking are implemented upon arrival, at border locations, in cases of tracing on the national territory and in the first and second reception phase, for a quick access to protection services.

“It is necessary that the emotion and indignation be followed continuous and widespread action to combat trafficking and exploitation of human beings, as well as a firm commitment to support young victims welcomed into the protection system so that, after having lived through one of the most devastating experiences that a boy or girl can face, they are accompanied in the construction of a different and free future”, underlines Raffaela Milan, Director of research and training at Save the Children.In recent years the organization has launched several projects on the topic, such as Exits, New routes, Free from invisibility and the European E.V.A. project.