Extremely wanted: human trafficking statistics — what to do with the hodgepodge of numbers?

The total scale of human trafficking is still unknown. The existing estimates are frequently based on false or unfounded assumptions, insufficient and unreliable data and inadequate use of methodologies. Yet statistics on the scale of the problem are often used in political debates on, for instance, what policy on prostitution would be the most effective for combating sexual exploitation. Consequently, improper comparisons are made of the total scale of human trafficking in various countries. The authors of this article suggest a new perspective on the use of statistics on human trafficking in smaller settings. On the basis of research by the National Rapporteur on Trafficking in Human Beings and Sexual Violence against Children in the Netherlands, the authors discuss three ways in which statistics are of the utmost importance in the fight against human trafficking: in informing policy (evidence-based policy), in exposing bottlenecks on the basis of which suggestions can be made to introduce more efficient policies and as a starting point for further research providing answers to questions such as why certain aspects still seem to be underexposed in the fight against human trafficking.

Related Subject(s): Drugs Crime and Terrorism