Modern Bondage: Asia’s Alarming Migration and Trafficking Surge: Jawad Naqvi

Modern bondage, commonly known as human trafficking, remains one of the most severe violations of human rights today. In countries plagued by economic instability or conflict, the scale and complexity of this crisis are daunting. Human trafficking thrives where systems are weak, oversight is minimal, and desperation is widespread. On the occasion of World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, a new report by the UNHCR titled Refugees and Migrants from South-West Asia to Europe reveals troubling statistics. Over the past five years, approximately 145,600 individuals from Asia reached Europe by land and sea, accounting for 17% of the estimated irregular arrivals via the Mediterranean and Atlantic routes. Even more alarming is the steady and significant increase in these numbers—from 13,000 in 2020 to 39,000 in 2024, marking a threefold rise.

The report also details changing migration patterns. Between 2020 and 2023, Afghans represented 33% of the migrants from the Asia-Pacific region reaching Europe, second only to Bangladeshis who made up 41%. The situation worsened in 2023, with Afghan migration spiking to 42%, coinciding with the Taliban’s return to power. Meanwhile, 94% of Bangladeshi and 70% of Pakistani irregular migrants entered the European Union through Italy, highlighting the role of certain migration corridors exploited by smuggling networks.

This year’s global theme — Human Trafficking is Organised Crime: End the Exploitation — underscores the crucial role of law enforcement and judicial systems in dismantling these trafficking networks. However, the challenge lies not just in policing borders but in protecting vulnerable individuals. Countries like Pakistan, long mired in a culture of impunity and institutional apathy, must confront the root causes enabling human trafficking. According to the report, 68% of Pakistani migrants cited unemployment and lack of basic services as reasons for leaving their homeland — a testament to the systemic failures that push people into the arms of traffickers.

Further complicating matters is Pakistan’s inadequate legal framework. The 2024 U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons Report criticized Pakistan for failing to take action for the fifth consecutive year against state officers complicit in human trafficking. Loopholes in laws continue to weaken enforcement: the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons Act (2018), despite amendments, still allows for monetary fines instead of mandatory imprisonment; and the Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants Act (2018) remains largely unimplemented.

Meaningful reform is urgently needed — from strengthening legislation and enforcing existing laws, to ensuring the protection of victims and equipping law enforcement with the resources and training required to dismantle transnational trafficking networks. Without a victim-centred, justice-oriented approach, modern bondage will persist, undermining human dignity and international commitments to protect the most vulnerable.