Human trafficking has become the third most lucrative crime in the world, according to the United Nations. In a recent article by Nikola Brabenec in Radio Prague, the Solicitor General for the UK - Harriet Harman - speaks out about the situation of the roughly 300,000 people trafficked anuually in the European Union: "They are told, come for a good job in Milan, or Amsterdam or Madrid. Then it turns out it is not a job at a bar or a hairdresser, instead they are forced to have sex with many, many different men and the traffickers are paid."
In addition to calling human trafficking a "form of modern slavery," Harman also points out that the international nature of trafficking as well as corruption on all levels makes the problem particularly insidious and difficult to investigate. Thus, Harman believes that states can no longer ignore the problem and should actively cooperate and share information in investigations.
Please read the entire article here,
http://www.radio.cz/en/article/64471
Compiled from "Human Trafficking - a problem Europe can't ignore", Nikola Brabenec, Radio Prague, www.radio.cz, 17 March 2005