This archive report was first published on 1 July 2021.
Washington, D.C. (July 1, 2021) - The COVID-19 pandemic has created an ideal environment for human trafficking to thrive, with governments diverting resources to combat the health crisis and traffickers taking advantage of vulnerable people.
The State Department's 2021 Trafficking in Persons Report highlights the devastating impact of the pandemic on anti-trafficking efforts, with many countries downgrading their rankings for failing to meet minimum standards.
According to the report, the pandemic has increased the number of people vulnerable to human trafficking, while also interrupting existing and planned anti-trafficking interventions.
Human traffickers have quickly adapted to capitalize on the vulnerabilities exposed and exacerbated by the pandemic, with some forcing young girls into marriage in exchange for money or forcing them to work to supplement lost income.
Landlords have also been accused of forcing their tenants, usually women, to have sex with them when they could not pay rent, while gangs have preyed on people in camps for displaced persons.
The report ranks countries around the world based on their compliance with the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, with six countries downgraded from Tier 1 to Tier 2 and two nations added to the Tier 3 list of worst offenders.
