According to 2018 Global Slavery Index, over 40 million people worldwide are exposed to conditions similar to slavery. A study published by the Walk Free Foundation defines modern slavery as human trafficking, forced labor, or debt bondage. The report also addresses situations such as forced marriage, child trafficking and their exploitation.
Here is what the top ten countries with the most modern slaves looks like.
10. Iran
Modern slavery in Iran affects approximately 16.2 people for every thousand inhabitants. In this country, some of the worst forms of violence against people are flourishing - organ harvesting and the smuggling of children. Women and girls from Iran are transported across the border and sold in neighboring countries.
Iran is also used as a transition zone for traffickers working between South Asia and Europe. Although the Iranian government technically declared slavery all the law, its slow reaction and the absence of resolutions on this issue show that the situation with modern slaves will not be resolved for a long time.
9. Cambodia
About 16.8 people out of every 1000 inhabitants of the country are in slavish dependence. The biggest problem with modern slavery in Cambodia is human trafficking. Women and children in Cambodia are either sold by their families or engaged in forced labor or forced prostitution. They are also forced into early and unwanted marriages.
8. Pakistan
Debt slavery or bonded labor is the most common form of modern slavery in Pakistan, according to the global slavery index. It is most common in the provinces of Punjab and Sindh. At the national level, 16.8 people out of every 1000 Pakistanis are “debt slaves”. Poor families fall into slavery after borrowing money from a rich person. All family members are forced to work for long hours for low wages, of which half remains with the lender. This loan sometimes has to be "repaid" to children and grandchildren, and until then the whole family will remain living property. And for women, this is one of the worst countries in the world.
In Pakistan, many wealthy people own brick ovens, coal mines, and carpet factories. At these enterprises, the labor of modern slaves is widely used.
7. South Sudan
One of the youngest countries in the world is also one of the leading countries in the modern slave trade. The victims are 20.5 people for every thousand inhabitants. For decades, South Sudan and North Sudan have been ravaged by brutal civil war and genocide. It is difficult to get an accurate picture of the situation in South Sudan, as many conflicts are raging in the country.
6. Mauritania
A country located in West Africa is known for being one of the largest sources of human trafficking in the world. According to experts, 21.4 out of every 1000 inhabitants of Mauritania fall victim to the slave trade.
There are no official programs to support victims of the slave trade in the country. In Mauritania, there is a phenomenon where forced labor is passed down from generation to generation, which causes a cyclical problem.
5. Afghanistan
This small country is both the source and place of the illegal slave trade. An estimated 22.2 out of every 1,000 people in Afghanistan are modern-day slaves. Many victims (and often children) are transported to neighboring countries such as Pakistan and India.
One of the most common forms of slave labor in Afghanistan is forced begging. As with South Sudan, it is difficult to get a full picture of the extent of the problem in Afghanistan due to frequent internal conflicts.
4. Central African Republic
In the poorest country in the world, trafficking is rampant. Many of the victims, who are estimated at 22.3 people per thousand people, are children. Often, slave children are forcibly sent to the army. And the efforts of the government of the Central African Republic to combat human trafficking have been criticized by Walk Free Foundation experts as insufficient.
3. Burundi
Burundi ranks third in the world in the number of forced labor in which every 40 out of a thousand people participate. Like other countries on this list, Burundi suffers from weak government and very poor quality of life. Many children in this country do not go to school. Burundi's HIV infection is also high, with approximately one in 15 adults having it. Most of the slave labor in Burundi is imposed on citizens by the state.
2. Eritrea
The government of Eritrea, as stated in the report of the Walk Free Foundation, is "a repressive regime that has abused its conscription system to keep its citizens in forced labor for decades." About 93 people out of every 1000 inhabitants of Eritrea are victims of modern slavery.
1. North Korea
Every tenth person in North Korea is considered a modern slave. Moreover, "a clear majority is forced to work for the state." When compiling a "slave" rating, the researchers talked with 50 defectors from North Korea. They spoke about inhuman conditions and forced unpaid work for adults and children involved in agriculture, construction and road construction. There is also speculation that the North Korean government is sending workers abroad (including to textile mills in neighboring China).
At the same time, one of the defectors named Zhang Jin-Song said that the North Koreans do not consider themselves slaves. “They were inspired all their lives to think: everything that they do for the state is good,” he said.
In total, 2.6 million North Koreans live in modern conditions of slavery, the study said. That is why North Korea ranks first in the ranking of states with the largest number of slaves.
Who is responsible for modern slavery and what can be done?
The 2018 Global Slavery Index measures not only the extent of modern slavery in different countries, but also the steps taken by governments to address this issue. The index summarizes various estimates of the prevalence of slavery, measuring the vulnerability of a population of a country and the actions of governments. This provides an understanding of how best to respond to modern slavery, as well as how to predict and prevent human oppression by man in the future.
The report says that responsibility for modern slavery rests with developed countries, as they import $ 350 billion worth of goods from developing countries each year. These products are manufactured in doubtful conditions.
Products that may be associated with the use of slave labor include: coal, coca, cotton, wood, and fish. The study also says that two problems allow modern slavery to flourish. The first of these is repressive governments that use forced labor. And the second - conflicts in different countries, which lead to the destruction of social structures and existing systems of protection of the population.
The report recommends that governments and businesses place human rights at the forefront of the fight against countries in which dictatorship flourishes.
Russia's place on the list of modern slavery
Russia did not get into the top 10 countries in the ratio of free citizens to modern slaves. In our country, the Walk Free Foundation estimates that there are 794 thousand slaves. She takes 64 line rating. But in terms of the total number of slaves on the territory of the state, Russia nevertheless fell into the top ten. Its neighbors were India, China and North Korea.
