Press Release 

UNODC expands EU-funded work against human trafficking and migrant smuggling to South Asia 

22 January 2025

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the European Union (EU) launched today “Preventing and Addressing Trafficking in Human Beings and the Smuggling of Migrants in South Asia”, a €9 million regional project that to support Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka in their efforts to eradicate these crimes.

“Despite to the efforts of countries in South Asia, impunity for human traffickers and migrant smugglers remains alarmingly high,” said Ilias Chatzis, Chief of the UNODC Action against Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling at the launch of the initiative.

UNODC and the ministries of the participating countries will implement the three-year project.

According to UNODC data, migrant smuggling in South Asia is seriously under-reported and often under-investigated.

Migrants are smuggled both within the region and to destinations such as the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Europe and other places. 

According to the 2024 UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, the scale of human trafficking in South Asia is also worrying. In 2022, more than 8,000 victims were detected, predominantly women and boys. Another 2,200 victims from South Asian countries were detected in other regions including Europe and the Middle East.

Most detected victims in South Asia are trafficked for forced labour, while about one-third are trafficked for sexual exploitation.

These figures represent only a small fraction of the true scale of trafficking in South Asia, as countless victims are never identified.

“The European Union's comprehensive approach to combating human trafficking and migrant smuggling stems from its commitment to protect fundamental human rights, promote justice, and enhance cooperation with our partners,” said Michael Miller, Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh.

UNODC will support South Asian countries develop anti-trafficking and anti-smuggling strategies, policies and legal frameworks; enhance the capacity of criminal justice professionals; strengthen international cooperation and communication; empowering and protect women and children who are victims of human trafficking. 

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For further information and interview requests, please contact:

Samarth Pathak

UNODC Regional Office for South Asia

Communications Officer

Email: samarth.pathak[at]un.org

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