To defeat human trafficking, we must first know its scale

More people are being enslaved today that at any given time in history. All the specialists agree on this, although it is impossible to know the exact number of victims of this horrendous crime.

The Walk Free Foundation estimates there are nearly 36 million men, women and children held in modern-day slavery. The International Labour Organisation believes there are about 21 million people in forced labour – a number echoed by the US Department of State. But one of these figures is nearly half the other. Why is there such a wide discrepancy?

Part of the problem lies with the definition of slavery. Should human trafficking be counted as forced labour alone or should it include forced prostitution and debt bondage? The more practical challenge is the lack of reliable data and a system to share it.

Today, slavery is an invisible crime. There are no chains, the injuries are psychological, and the victims walk among us, mostly unnoticed, trapped in illicit networks operating in the shadows. The clandestine nature of the industry masks its true scale. The ILO believes slavery to be worth some US$150 billion a year. This figure is disputed, with several non-governmental organisations calling it too low.

This constant clash over the figures highlights three things. First, we have only uncovered the tip of the iceberg. Second, slavery is organised crime at its best. And third, our efforts to dismantle this scourge on humanity are totally disorganised, a drop in an ocean of corruption and greed.