Pope Francis joined religious and world leaders in calling for an end to human trafficking on 30 July, the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.
He tweeted:“I invite everyone to work together with the victims to transform the economy of trafficking into an economy of care.”
Between 20 and 40 million people are estimated to be trapped in modern slavery today, an illegal billion-dollar business where traffickers exploit vulnerable people for labour, prostitution, and trade in organs.
Talitha Kum, the global Anti-Trafficking Network of Consecrated Life Against Trafficking in Persons, launched a campaign entitled #CareAgainstTrafficking last week .
Its international coordinator, Sr Gabriella Bottani, urged people of goodwill “to come together and tackle the systemic causes of human trafficking, to transform the economy of trafficking into an economy of care”. She asked governments “to commit to long-term support for survivors”, including access to education, jobs, justice and healthcare.
In Latin America, an anti-trafficking group, Red Clamor, supported by the Latin American Episcopal Council (Celam) and the Latin American Confederation of Religious (Clar), launched four films as part of a campaign by the Latin American Church against Human Trafficking.
The films, which have the motto “Life is not a commodity on sale, it is about people”, are being shared on social networks. Elvy Monzant, executive secretary of Red Clamor, said: “Everyone is invited to spread these materials and to join in giving witness to a Church on a missionary journey, which denounces the culture of waste and indifference, promoting the culture of encounter, weaving networks in favour of life and integral human development.”
According to campaign statistics, four million people every year are victims of transnational criminal industries whose profits amount to more than $32 billion. Of all the victims of trafficking, 80 per cent are women or girls for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
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