Over 20 million people are estimated to be victims of forced labour globally, which includes victims of trafficking for forced labour and sexual exploitation. While considerable steps have been taken by governments across the world to combat this multibillion- dollar business that is destroying lives and violating fundamental human rights, the impact on the ground remains limited. At the same time, the proceeds of traffickers continue to rise. In light of the current refugee crisis, combatting trafficking in persons and ensuring that more people do not become victims is more relevant than ever. Adults and unaccompanied minors alike who have been forced to flee their home countries in search of safety, political stability and humane living conditions are particularly vulnerable to exploitation. They arrive in a new and unfamiliar country without possessions, and in need of physical and economic security.

Trafficking in persons (TIP) violates many of the most fundamental human rights and is present throughout all regions of the world. It is also one of the most lucrative forms of organised crime. The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that 20.9 million people are victims of forced labour globally and that the total illicit profits produced by trafficked forced labourers are about USD 150 billion per year.

This chapter explores one of the most lucrative forms of organised crime: trafficking in persons. It focuses on the magnitude of the crime in terms of both profit and the number of victims, the transnational nature of trafficking in persons, and takes stock of progress in enforcement of the anti-trafficking laws in place. In addition, the chapter presents a number of efforts that have been made to combat trafficking in persons in terms of international and regional conventions, legislation from national governments and private sector initiatives.

Trafficking in persons could not occur at the large scale that it currently does without the leverage supplied by corruption. This chapter explores this link between trafficking in persons and corruption, focusing on who the corrupt actors are, the types of corrupt acts they commit, and where in the trafficking chain corruption takes place.

Despite the close link between trafficking in persons (TIP) and corruption, there have – up until this report – not been any international instruments that aim to address these two issues jointly. This chapter presents a set of “Guiding Principles on Combatting Corruption related to Trafficking in Persons” that can guide countries intending to establish, modify or complement a framework to address TIP-related corruption.

This chapter takes stock of the potential practical application of the “Guiding Principles on Combatting Corruption related to Trafficking in Persons” in the context of the Philippines, and explores whether the Guiding Principles effectively address the concerns identified in relation to trafficking in persons and corruption.

This chapter takes stock of the potential practical application of the “Guiding Principles on Combatting Corruption related to Trafficking in Persons” in the context of Thailand, and explores whether the Guiding Principles effectively address the concerns identified in relation to trafficking in persons and corruption.