Child victims of human trafficking helped by IOM increased to 2,040
in 2011, up 27 per cent from 1,565 in 2008, according to new IOM
data.

It shows that the number of adult victims referred to 89 IOM
missions in 91 countries during the same period rose 13 per cent to
3,404 from 3,012.

While the number of female victims remained stable at 3,415,
compared to 3,404 in 2008, the number of male victims rose 27 per
cent to 2,040 from 1,656, reflecting growing public recognition of
the trafficking of men for the purpose of labour exploitation.

Labour trafficking cases rose 43 per cent to 2,906, up from
2,031 in 2008. In contrast, cases of trafficking for sexual
exploitation dropped 19 per cent to 1,507 from 1,866 four years
earlier.

International trafficking cases fell 13 per cent to 3,531 in
2011, down from 4,066 in 2008. But domestic cases shot up 140 per
cent from 713 in 2008 to 1,708 last year.

The fall in international cases may reflect more efficient
immigration and border controls, while the increase in the number
of domestic cases may reflect greater public awareness of
trafficking and improved domestic law enforcement, according to IOM
Head of Counter Trafficking Laurence Hart.

Out of a total of 5,498 victims helped by IOM in 2011, 1,606
were in Europe, 1,049 in South and Central Asia, 984 in the Western
Hemisphere, 860 in East Asia and the Pacific, 696 in the Middle
East and 303 in Africa, according to IOM data.

Roughly a third (36 per cent) of cases involved children under
the age of 18. Nearly two thirds (62 per cent) of the total were
women and a little over a third (37 per cent ) were men.

In Europe, Asia and the Pacific, Central and Southern Asia,
women outnumbered men by roughly two to one. In the Middle East,
the Western Hemisphere and Africa, the gender gap was less
pronounced.

The top ten countries of destination for human trafficking
victims helped by IOM in 2011 were the Russian Federation (837),
Haiti (658), Yemen (552), Thailand (449), Kazakhstan (265),
Afghanistan (170), Indonesia (148), Poland (122), Egypt (103) and
Turkey (101).

The top ten countries of origin for victims were Ukraine (835),
Haiti (709), Yemen (378), Laos (359), Uzbekistan (292), Cambodia
(258), Kyrgyzstan (213), Afghanistan (179), Belarus (141) and
Ethiopia (122).

In Europe, IOM Ukraine recorded the most victims assisted with
814 of the total. Belarus recorded 142, Moldova 98 and Germany
69.

In Central and South, Asia Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and
Afghanistan topped the totals, accounting for 202, 204 and 199
cases respectively.

In the Western Hemisphere, IOM helped 656 victims in Haiti, 65
in the United States and 49 in the Dominican Republic.

In Asia and the Pacific, Thailand accounted for 260 cases, Laos
for 195, Cambodia for 122 and Vietnam for 102.

In the Middle East, IOM offices recorded 513 cases in Yemen and
100 in Egypt. In Africa IOM handled 47 cases in Tanzania, 45 in
Uganda, 44 in Ethiopia and 32 in Mali.

IOM provides a wide range of services to help victims of human
trafficking, including shelter, medical and legal assistance,
vocational training, assisted voluntary return to the country of
origin, and reintegration assistance once they return home.

For more information please contact:

Jonathan Martens

IOM Geneva

Tel: +41 22 717 94 69

E-mail: "mailto:jmartens@iom.int">jmartens@iom.int