COVID-19 Makes Human Trafficking Huger, Traffickers Harder to Catch, Victims More Vulnerable

The COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the world has made people poorer and more vulnerable to human trafficking, according to the U.S. State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report. The report, released Thursday, says traffickers are exploiting the growing number of people impoverished by the disease. In some cases, business owners and landlords pressure employees or tenants to take out loans in exchange for cheap labor or sexual exploitation;  In others, families exploit their own children or sell them to traffickers to financially support themselves. Despite all the grim news, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken sees reason for hope. “If we’re serious…