To mark World Day against Trafficking in Persons, the OSCE Chairman-in-Office, the OSCE Secretary General, the Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings are calling for renewed efforts to combat trafficking for forced criminality.
"As Chair of the OSCE, Switzerland reaffirms its commitment to making the protection of victims the centre of our anti-trafficking efforts. Our shared security depends on defending human dignity, protecting victims, and holding perpetrators accountable. Strengthened public-private partnerships, enhanced digital awareness, and greater international co-operation are needed to prevent exploitation before it occurs," said OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Swiss Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis.
This year's World Day against Trafficking in Persons global theme, "Trapped behind the scam," highlights one of the fastest-growing manifestations of trafficking in human beings. Criminal networks increasingly recruit victims through deceptive job adverts, transport them across borders, and compel them through threats, violence, and debt bondage to defraud financial victims through digital means.
"Human trafficking fuels organized crime, undermines our security and prosperity, and exploits the most vulnerable in our societies. The convergence with cybercrime, financial fraud, and money laundering underscores that these crimes cannot be tackled in isolation. Through its comprehensive approach to security, the OSCE plays a unique role in fostering stronger international co-operation to dismantle the criminal networks that profit from human suffering," said OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu.
As trafficking evolves in scale and complexity, so too must our responses. Victims of trafficking compelled to commit unlawful acts must be recognized first and foremost as victims of serious crime, not as offenders. "Organized criminal groups are exploiting thousands of people in forced criminality and sophisticated scam operations. Too often, instead of being identified and protected, these victims are arrested and prosecuted, failing to implement the non-punishment principle," said Dr. Kari Johnstone, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings.
Another key consideration is the role of front-line responders such as law enforcement officers, labour inspectors, migration authorities, social protection institutions, and civil society organizations. The OSCE can help strengthen their capacity to identify indicators of trafficking involving online fraud and other forms of forced criminality. "Trafficking for forced criminality challenges traditional assumptions about who is a victim. Indicators of exploitation should trigger protection-oriented responses across all competent authorities. In this regard, strong, victim-centred referral pathways are needed to ensure that identification leads to timely protection, assistance, and access to justice," noted Maria Telalian, Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). "Involving survivors in designing our responses can help us identify and close protection gaps."
The OSCE calls on participating States, international partners, civil society, and the private sector to intensify efforts to prevent and address forced criminality and other forms of trafficking, and to deepen international co-operation to disrupt criminal networks while ensuring access to justice, protection, and effective remedies for all victims.
