16 Worst Countries for Human Trafficking in 2018

If you wish to know what countries are most affected by human trafficking this year, this is the list of 16 worst countries for human trafficking in 2018. Human trafficking countries ranking is one of the least favorite rankings on our webpage, but it is necessary to know the harsh truth.

Where are the victims of human trafficking? They’re in the fields under the scorching sun, on dusty streets, in someone’s home as domestic servitude or purchased brides. They’re under the ground in mines, in basements or filthy rooms. People of all ages are subjects to this inhumane trade: women, children, and men. There is no age limit – everyone’s suitable. Some victims are more prone to end up in prostitution, while others are recognized as the most suitable for forced labor. There are lots of forms in which a person is exploited without any mercy, and victims come from all walks of life. The ongoing wars have proved as real catalysts when it comes to human trafficking. Millions of refugees are migrating, and it is so easy to lose yourself in the chaos. Sadly, there is a huge number of children out there without a proper childhood, to put it mildly. Not only are they physically and sexually exploited in the previously mentioned ways, but for the little ones, there is a grave danger of becoming soldiers and being forced to kill other human beings. There isn’t human trafficking by country statistics which could tell us the exact percentage of children soldiers, but we are going to point out which countries are known for this abhorrent crime.

It’s little wonder then that people are typing into Google if human trafficking is legal anywhere in the world when you realize the full size of the problem. We have already written about the worst human trafficking cities in the world in Top 15 Cities with Highest Human Trafficking in the world last year. The pressing issue was discussed in our articles about 11 countries with the highest rates of human trafficking in the world and human trafficking countries ranking and list: worldwide country statistics. China human trafficking is also a burning issue, but the country only belongs to the Tier 2 Watch List. As for what is the number one state for human trafficking, there’s not one, but three of them: California, New York, and Texas. Unfortunately, it’s hard to decide on the “winner.” This is a very difficult question to answer, since the numbers are constantly fluctuating, or should we say the people are constantly being trafficked from one country into the other(s).

We had the same challenge with our list of worst human trafficking countries. Firstly, we looked them up at Know Your Country to find Tier 3 human trafficking countries. Namely, when it comes to human trafficking, they can be divided into several groups: Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 2 Watch List and Tier 3. Tier 3 is the worst category, meaning the country has the biggest problem and most of all, it isn’t cooperative enough to solve the problem. The list was our starting point, and we proceeded to the CIA Factbook for more reliable and recent information. After a careful search, we analyzed the countries closely in order to be able to compile this list. The first seven countries on our list are in the worst possible state, which means they are the source, destination and transit countries at the same time, and children, women, and men are trafficked. In our ranking system, it was more important that all three types of victims are present, rather than whether the country is of a source, transit or destination type. The following group of six countries was either a destination, a source or a transit country (sometimes both, but not all of the mentioned), while again there were all three types of victims suffering in the process. The last country on the list “only” abused men and women, but it was set apart from other countries with two types of victims by the fact it has the role of a source, destination, and transit country.

Admittedly, some of the countries belong to the Tier 2 category, but we believe that even if the smallest percentage of children is subjected to this horror, it outweighs the balance and ranks the country as one of the worst in the world.

We hope we have made the matters clear for those of you who dare to see the truth. After all, we aren’t talking about numbers in 16 worst countries for human trafficking in 2018. It must be noted that these are all human lives and poor destinies. Millions of them fighting and suffering while being transported from one abuser to the other.

16. Algeria

Primarily, Algeria is a transit country for human trafficking, though there it serves as a destination and source, too. Most victims are men and women, and the latter are more exploited as a labor force and forced into prostitution.

15. The Gambia

Women, girls, and boys are the main victims ending up as forced labor and pushed into sex trafficking. But don’t think only the neighboring countries are exploiting them. Boys are usually sold to European tourists.

14. North Korea

Interestingly and shockingly, this country is the conspirator when it comes to human trafficking. The government is willingly trafficking its own people (children, women, and men) and sending them off to the nearby countries to work in labor camps or be sold into prostitution.

13. Eritrea

Eritrea is a small northeast African country situated on the Red Sea coast. Women, children, and men are mostly trafficked as cheap labor.

12. Yemen

Yemen ranks 12th on our list of worst countries for human trafficking in 2018. It is mainly a source country, and the problem escalated gravely in 2014. The children trafficked mostly end up as beggars, prostitutes, or drug smugglers. Another danger lurking are armed forces that have the habit of recruiting children as their soldiers.

11. Venezuela

Usually known for its beautiful women, Venezuela is notorious as a trafficking country. Victims the Carribean, Asia, Africa and South America, are smuggled into the country, while its own female citizens are too often lured from poor provinces into the cities and towns where they end up as prostitutes.

Are you ready for the top ten worst countries for human trafficking in 2018?

10. Syria

Civil war and human trafficking go hand in hand. It’s hard to keep any kind of order, let alone keep track of refugees who get lost in the chaos and become subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. The children here are also in danger of being recruited by armed forces.

9. South Sudan

There is a whole array of professions that children are forced into doing for bare survival: rock breaking, working on construction sites, shoe shining, brick making,  cart pulling and many other horrible jobs for the young. In addition, girls are often forced into arranged marriages. Child soldiers are nothing unusual either.

8. Equatorial Guinea

We are continuing our list of worst countries for human trafficking in 2018 with a country which is an export country when it comes to child trafficking, and the “imported merchandise” are children, women, and men who are used for forced labor.

7. Zimbabwe

Forced labor and domestic servitude are common in areas outside of towns and cities. Also, one of the most common types of prostitution is the “catering prostitution” for truck drivers.

6. Sudan

Sudan comes a bit higher on our list of 16 worst countries for human trafficking in 2018 than South Sudan. This is a destination land for trafficked women and girls from Thailand, among the others.

5. Russia

Who would’ve thought this country is going to be in top 10 human trafficking countries. Nevertheless, here it is. The main issue isn’t sex trafficking as it is usually the case, but forced labor. Apparently, there are millions of workers toiling in inhumane conditions. Organized crime syndicates could be the answer to how all this is possible.

4. Iran

An unknown number of girls is being transported as you are reading this to be sexually exploited or married without their consent. This type of sex trafficking has been on the rise in Iran. The girls are sometimes transported to other countries, but the gruesome demand for them within the country is high as well.

And now, let’s see the top three worst countries for human trafficking in 2018.

3. The Ccentral African Republic

CAR (Central African Republic) is a source, destination and transit country for men, women, and children. The youngest are forced to work on the streets as beggars or work in mines and fields. Domestic servitude is another awful option.

2. Belize

Belize is highly recommended as the great vacation destination, but it is also a destination, source, and transit country for sex trafficking. One of the main problems is that families are selling their members into prostitution and forced labor. We’ve mentioned tourism. Naturally, the most frequent customers come from the US.

1. Belarus

Belarus is the last on our list of 16 worst countries for human trafficking in 2018. This is a source, destination, and transit country, but most of the trafficking victims are held within Belarus. The trafficking routes lead to Germany, Kazakhstan, Poland Turkey and a lot of other countries. On the other hand, it is Moldovans, Russians, Ukrainians, and Vietnamese that are mostly exploited in Belarus.