Sex trafficking is a form of modern slavery in which someone coerces or deceives another person into commercial sexual exploitation for profit. Any child sold for sex is considered a victim of sex trafficking by nature of their age. Simply put, sex trafficking makes a business out of sexual violence. It thrives when law enforcement cannot or does not protect vulnerable children and women.

IJM works to combat sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation in Romania, Kenya, South Asia and the Philippines.

In 2019, IJM launched its anti-trafficking programme in Romania. Read the Press Release about the launch.

Romania is a source country for human trafficking crimes in Europe. Vulnerable Romanian women and men are exploited for labour and sex trafficking. These crimes are committed within Romania itself and across borders into other European countries, including the UK.

Romania is the source country of 44% of all sex trafficking-related prosecutions at the EU level (European Commission, 2018) yet in 2018, the government reported that only 48% of confirmed trafficking victims in Romania received assistance (US Trafficking in Persons Report, 2019).

IJM is working alongside government, police and communities in the UK and Romania to end cross border trafficking.

The vast majority of victims of sex trafficking come from backgrounds of poverty. Because of their desperate economic situation, women or girls (or their parents or caretakers) are more likely to accept risky job offers or fake marriage proposals, or to migrate to another country.

Before the internet, customers had to physically go to a bar or brothel for sexual exploitation. Now, with the rise of Online Sexual Exploitation of Children, sex offenders and abusers located anywhere in the world can use the internet to exploit children without ever leaving their bedroom.

Once trafficked, victims find themselves facing brutal violence. Children and adults forced into commercial sexual exploitation are particularly vulnerable to physical assault from traffickers and customers.

Though sex trafficking is a worldwide phenomenon, it is most pervasive in countries where perpetrators know they are unlikely to face any significant consequences.

When the likelihood of serving serious prison time and paying significant financial damages increases, the potential financial rewards are no longer worth the high risk, and traffickers change their behaviour.