4.6 / 5 ( 8 votes )

Slavery was one of the most abhorrent and disgusting man-made tragedy. It not only wrecked the lives of the people who had the misfortune to fall in its trap, but also that of the affected person’s family members. Slavery was once widely practiced; however, in the modern age all the recognized countries have outlawed it.

However, if you are harboring the illusion that slavery is long dead and gone from the face of the earth, it is time for reflection. Slavery is very much rampant in the modern world, though it is no longer recognized. An estimated 40.3 million people are still in “modern slavery” around the world. Human trafficking, debt bondage, child soldiers, forced marriages, and domestic servants kept in captivity are only a few forms of the modern slavery.

Many people in the continent of Africa, hope to migrate so they can avoid becoming a victim to extreme abuse which comes under sections of modern slavery. The problematic issue is noticed more in nations which have lower economic wealth or weak rule of law. It is also persistent in countries which are disrupted with internal conflicts. On the same note, Global Slavery Index released in 2017, also reflects how nations which are economically well-developed are responsible for perpetuating modern slavery. Despite the wealth in these countries, crimes related to slavery are occurring at an alarming rate and within their global chains.

Meanwhile, progressive actions to eliminate slavery are being processed, and countries are welcoming the new anti-slavery laws. Yet, weak labor laws and restricted immigration policies are some reasons why abuse continues. People working in the “gig economy”, that is, the ones who don’t sustain permanent jobs and remain on the look out for short-term projects, are more vulnerable to be a victim.

According to a data by the Global Slavery Index 2017, India had more than 7 million people under modern slavery. It was back in colonial times, that Indians were turned into slaves by British Raj. However, with Slavery Abolition Act 1833, slavery was criminalized. In the modern times, bonded labor, child labor, forced marriage, human trafficking, forced begging, etc are quite evident in the country.

Next in the index, stands Pakistan, the neighboring country of India, having over 3 million people under slavery. It is followed by China and North Korea. Even if these are Asian countries, if data is estimated regionally, Africa has the highest average vulnerability score, i.e. 62% and Arab states had the second highest vulnerability, i.e. 57%. Europe and Central Asia on the other hand, had the least vulnerability to slavery victimization, i.e. 28%.

Unfortunately, even in the most developed and advanced countries around the world, there were quite a few people in modern slavery. For example, in the United States, the figure stood at 403,00. Human trafficking persists in the country to a large extent. Every year, about 17,500 foreign nationals and over 200,000 American citizens are trafficked into and within the USA, of which 80% of the victims are women and children.

The lowest ranked countries were Iceland and Luxembourg, having less than 1000 people stuck in modern slavery. Globally, the number might have decreased, but the rate is slower than one would have hoped. The need of the hour is strict policies and numerous government strategies to combat the problem, and avail freedom to everyone.

The data provides information on the number of people in modern slavery around the world.

Country Number of People in Modern Slavery India 7,989,000 Pakistan 3,186,000 China 2,864,000 North Korea 2,640,000 Nigeria 1,386,000 Iran 1,289,000 Indonesia 1,220,000 Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,045,000 Russia 794,000 Philippines 784,000 Afghanistan 749,000 Ethiopia 614,000 Thailand 610,000 Bangladesh 592,000 Myanmar 575,000 Egypt 518,000 Turkey 509,000 Sudan 465,000 Eritrea 451,000 Vietnam 421,000 Burundi 408,000 United States of America 403,000 Brazil 369,000 Mexico 341,000 Tanzania 336,000 Kenya 328,000 Uganda 304,000 Ukraine 286,000 Cambodia 261,000 South Sudan 243,000 Somalia 216,000 Malaysia 212,000 Angola 199,000 Madagascar 182,000 Venezuela 174,000 Iraq 174,000 Nepal 171,000 Chad 168,000 Germany 167,000 Uzbekistan 160,000 Cameroon 157,000 South Africa 155,000 Mozambique 152,000 Italy 145,000 Cote D’Ivoire 137,000 Syria 136,000 United Kingdom 136,000 Rwanda 134,000 Niger 133,000 Ghana 133,000 Malawi 131,000 Colombia 131,000 France 129,000 Poland 128,000 Algeria 106,000 Zimbabwe 105,000 Spain 105,000 Belarus 103,000 Central African Republic 101,000 South Korea 99,000 Guinea 94,000 Zambia 92,000 Mauritania 90,000 Greece 89,000 Romania 86,000 Morocco 85,000 Yemen 85,000 Burkina Faso 82,000 Papua New Guinea 81,000 Peru 80,000 Kazakhstan 75,000 Mali 62,000 Laos 62,000 Turkmenistan 62,000 Saudi Arabia 61,000 Haiti 59,000 Benin 58,000 Argentina 55,000 Togo 50,000 Libya 48,000 Guatemala 47,000 Sri Lanka 44,000 Senegal 43,000 Cuba 43,000 Azerbaijan 43,000 Dominican Republic 42,000 Republic of the Congo 40,000 Ecuador 39,000 Tajikistan 39,000 Mongolia 37,000 Japan 37,000 Sierra Leone 36,000 Hungary 36,000 Liberia 33,000 Bulgaria 32,000 Israel 31,000 Czech Republic 31,000 Honduras 30,000 Serbia 30,000 Netherlands 30,000 Portugal 26,000 Tunisia 25,000 Croatia 25,000 Kyrgyzstan 24,000 Bolivia 23,000 Belgium 23,000 Moldova 22,000 Albania 20,000 Singapore 19,000 Nicaragua 18,000 Macedonia 18,000 Canada 17,000 Jordan 17,000 Lithuania 17,000 Georgia 17,000 El Salvador 16,000 Armenia 16,000 Slovakia 16,000 United Arab Emirates 15,000 Australia 15,000 Austria 15,000 Sweden 15,000 Chile 14,000 Switzerland 14,000 Guinea-Bissau 13,000 Swaziland 12,000 Taiwan 12,000 Bosnia and Herzegovina 12,000 Gambia 11,000 Paraguay 11,000 Lebanon 10,000 Timor-Leste 10,000 Hong Kong 10,000 Gabon 9,000 Lesotho 9,000 Oman 9,000 Norway 9,000 Finland 9,000 Denmark 9,000 Botswana 8,000 Namibia 8,000 Panama 8,000 Kosovo 8,000 Latvia 8,000 Ireland 8,000 Djibouti 7,000 Equatorial Guinea 7,000 Jamaica 7,000 Costa Rica 6,000 Kuwait 6,000 Brunei Darussalam 5,000 Cyprus 5,000 Estonia 5,000 Slovenia 5,000 Trinidad and Tobago 4,000 Uruguay 4,000 Qatar 4,000 Montenegro 4,000 Bahrain 3,000 New Zealand 3,000 Cape Verde 2,000 Guyana 2,000 Mauritius 1,000 Barbados 1,000 Suriname 1,000 Iceland <1000 Luxembourg <1000

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