Labour trafficking rises:

Europe

Labour trafficking is on the rise across Europe and has overtaken sexual exploitation as the predominant form of modern-day slavery in several countries including Britain, Belgium and Portugal, a leading European human rights body said on Tuesday.

But a lack of prosecutions and convictions, limited labour laws and inspections, and fear among victims are hindering efforts to tackle trafficking in industries from agriculture to construction, said a report by the Council of Europe (CoE).

“More and more people are being trafficked to work in awful conditions in Europe, both within and across national borders,” said Siobhan Mullally, head of the CoE’s anti-trafficking group.

“States across Europe need to work closely together with NGOs, trade unions and the private sector to help end this heinous exploitation and abuse,” Mullally said in a statement.

Most victims of labour exploitation in Europe are men working in sectors including fishing and manufacturing, while women tend to be trapped in isolated settings such as domestic or care work, according to the report by the France-based CoE.

Victims are often reluctant to seek help because they may depend on their traffickers for work, food and housing, and fear deportation or retaliation if they speak out, activists say. (RTRS)