MODERN bondage, or human trafficking, is among the gravest violations of human rights. In socioeconomically distressed or conflict-ridden countries, the severity of this menace is a complex battle. On World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the new report from the UNHCR, Refugees and Migrants from South-West Asia to Europe, throws up sobering numbers: the last five years saw some 145,600 Asians arrive in Europe by land and sea — 17pc of the estimated irregular arrivals via the Mediterranean and Atlantic. More troubling is the three-fold rise in figures: 13,000 in 2020 to 39,000 in 2024. From 2020 to 2023, Afghans formed the second largest group at 33pc to reach Europe from the Asia-Pacific region, while Bangladeshis topped the list with 41pc. Last year, the former accounted for 42pc, registering an increase since the Taliban’s return to power. Meanwhile, 94pc of Bangladeshi and 70pc of Pakistani irregular migrants entered the EU through Italy.

This year’s UN theme, Human Trafficking is Organised Crime — End the Exploitation, highlights the role law enforcement and the criminal justice system play in uprooting organised trafficking networks with an approach that is “victim-centred”. Long cursed with a profound tolerance for social sins, Pakistan must accept that its culture of impunity has created perilous conditions for the underprivileged: 68pc of Pakistani migrants cited lack of employment and basic services as reasons to leave home. Meanwhile, the 2024 US State Department trafficking report showed an absence of action, for the fifth consecutive year, against officers complicit in human trade. Legal ambiguities add to the predicament. Pakistan’s Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act, 2018, despite amendments, permits fines instead of mandatory imprisonment, and the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act, 2018, is poorly enforced. The need for reforms is crucial, as are victim protection, training and funds for security agencies to tear down transnational trafficking enterprises.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2025