The slavery system, which is considered the origin of human trafficking and was widely practiced in the world until the early 19th century, turns humans into a commodity by eliminating the rights that humans have simply because they are human. The institution of slavery, where human dignity is ignored, has been largely abolished by many international, regional and national regulations since the 19th century. The migration movement, which started with the First and Second World Wars, constantly gained momentum due to internal conflicts and instabilities, wars, economic inadequacies and climatic conditions causing the displacement of millions of people. Traffickers, who take advantage of the fragility of the people who may remain defenseless at their destination, and want to earn income by exploiting their bodies or labor, have led to the emergence and increasing prevalence of forms of human trafficking described as modern slavery. According to the United Nations (UN) Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), “extortion by deception or force into labour, service, prostitution or other sexual exploitation, exploitation of organs and tissues, forced begging, illegal adoption, child abuse at an early age, and forced marriage, using children in armed conflict or as soldiers” are common manifestations of human trafficking on a global scale.(1)

According to the 2022 Global Human Trafficking Report published by UNODC, more than 450,000 victims of human trafficking and 300,000 suspects/criminals were identified on a global scale between 2003 and 2021. 42% of the detected victims of human trafficking are women, 23% are men, 35% are children.(2) According to the statistical data announced by the Directorate of Immigration Management, which is authorized to identify human trafficking victims in our country, the number of human trafficking victims detected between 2019 and 2023 was 1,769. The number of victims identified in 2023 is 226.(3)

With the decision of the UN General Assembly in 2013, July 30 has been declared as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons every year in order to raise awareness about the fight against trafficking in human beings. A theme is chosen by the UN within this framework every year, and the theme for 2024 has been determined as "Leave no child behind in the fight against human trafficking". One third of the victims of human trafficking globally are children. The majority of kidnapped children are girls. The UNODC 2022 Global Trafficking in Persons Report states that children are twice as likely to be exposed to violence during human trafficking than adults. The main reasons why children are subjected to human trafficking are economic inadequacies, increased migration, armed conflicts, the vulnerability of refugee unaccompanied children, dysfunctional families and lack of parental care. Children are generally subjected to forms of human trafficking such as forced labor, begging, illegal adoption, sexual exploitation, recruitment into armed groups, and dissemination of malicious images online.(4)

Our Institution, as the National Rapporteur Institution on combating human trafficking, whose main mission is the protection and development of human rights based on human dignity, ensuring the right of people to equal treatment, preventing discrimination in the enjoyment of legally recognized rights and freedoms, celebrates the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons on July 30 with the hope of a world in which human trafficking, one of the most serious human rights violations, has ended.

Respectfully anounced to the public.