How much is Europe making from commercial sexual exploitation?

New Research Reveals Illegal Profits from Forced Labour in Europe and Central Asia

According to a recently published report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), countries in Europe and Central Asia are estimated to make $84.2 million (€78.1) in illegal profits from forced labour every year.

Key Findings:

1. Victims from 51 European and Central Asian countries, including Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain, Albania, and Uzbekistan, have the highest estimation of illegal profits per victim, sitting at roughly €19.7 million.
2. The most money earned through forced labour is through commercial sexual exploitation, with annual earnings estimated to be $58.6 billion (€54bn) in Europe and Central Asia.
3. Roughly 70,000 new victims of sexual exploitation move through Europe annually, with the market estimated to be valued at $3 billion (€2.7bn).
4. Roughly $236 billion (around €219m) is generated every year from forced labour globally, with the practice in the private sector rising by almost 40% since 2014.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a Geneva-based United Nations agency founded to advance social justice. ILO Director-General Gilbert Houngbo emphasized the urgency of taking action to end this injustice, as forced labour perpetuates cycles of poverty and exploitation and strikes at the heart of human dignity.

Causes of Illegal Profits

Wage under-payment, or bosses pocketing employees’ earnings, accounted for the largest share of illegal profits garnered (85%). Unlawful recruitment practices, such as additional fees or related costs a forced labourer shoulders to work, added a substantial amount to profits (15%).

Most Problematic Industries for Forced Labour

Industry, including mining, quarrying, manufacturing, construction, and utilities, was found to be the most problematic privately-owned branch of forced labour economic activity, accounting for roughly 6.3 million workers (37%).

The ILO argues for “urgent” investment in enforcement to bring perpetrators to justice and stem illegal profits. The report stresses the need for imposing mechanisms to oblige perpetrators to pay compensation as a punitive function and deterrent for aspirant offenders. A broad-based approach targeting the root causes of crime, as well as victim protections, should also be imposed.

Efforts by the European Union (EU)

The European Council and European Parliament have recently struck a provisional deal to keep products made by forced labour out of the EU. The draft regulation proposed investigating businesses’ supply chains and withdrawing goods made with or by forced labour from the EU.

The European Union (EU) has been tackling forced labour with its own independent mechanisms. The first step to eradicating forced labour is “breaking the business model of companies that exploit workers,” said Minister for the Economy and Employment, Pierre-Yves Dermagne.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.
   • Indicator 8.7.1: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group (relevant to the mention of victims of forced labor being children).
   • Indicator 8.7.2: Proportion of children aged 5-17 years engaged in hazardous work, by sex and age group (relevant to the mention of victims of forced labor being children).
   • Indicator 8.7.3: Number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000 population (relevant to the mention of human trafficking as a form of forced labor).

2. SDG 5: Gender Equality

   • Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
   • Indicator 5.2.1: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual, or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months (relevant to the mention of victims of forced commercial sexual exploitation being overwhelmingly women and girls).

3. SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
   • Indicator 16.2.2: Number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000 population (relevant to the mention of human trafficking as a form of forced labor).

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Source: euronews.com

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