Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
In 2023, the number of registered victims of human trafficking in the European Union reached 10,793. Among them were 8,471 suspects and 2,309 convicted. According to figures released by Eurostat in Brussels, women and girls constituted nearly two-thirds (63%) of registered victims of human trafficking. Meanwhile, women accounted for less than a quarter of suspected and convicted traffickers (24% and 23%, respectively).
Among the registered victims who reported the type of exploitation they experienced, 4,201 victims were trafficked for sexual exploitation (43.8% of the total), 3,457 victims were trafficked for forced labor (36%), and 1,937 victims were trafficked for other purposes, such as organ removal, benefit fraud, criminal activities, forced begging, and others (20.2% of the total).
The number of registered victims trafficked for forced labor or services has increased significantly. Between 2008 and 2018, the percentage of such victims ranged between 14% and 21%, and from 2019 onwards, the percentage has ranged between 28% and 41%.