people smuggling

A former victim of human trafficking in Mauritania.
© Sibylle Desjardins / IOM

Traffickers have taken advantage of COVID crisis, new UN study shows

12 July 2021
Interviews

A new study from the UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on the impact of COVID-19 on victims and survivors of human trafficking, indicates that the ‘severity’ of abuses and levels of violence have increased during the pandemic.

Louise Potterton spoke to Ilias Chatzis, Chief of UNODC’s Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Section, which developed the new study.   

Audio -
11'6"
Djibouti is a favoured destination for migrants and refugees from countries in the region, notably Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Somalia.
OIM/Alexander Bee

Violence against smuggled migrants widespread, but justice is lacking: UN report

28 June 2021
Migrants and Refugees

Migrants smuggled across borders are often subjected to extreme violence, torture, rape and kidnapping, whether in transit or in captivity, but authorities take little action to address these offences, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in a report published on Monday. 

The Italian Navy rescues migrants in the Mediterranean Sea.
Italian Coastguard/Massimo Sestini

At least 2.5 million migrants were smuggled in 2016, first UN global study shows

13 June 2018
Migrants and Refugees

According to the first ever Global Study on Smuggling of Migrants, released by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Wednesday, at least 2.5 million migrants were smuggled during the course of 2016.