Shafaq News/ On Thursday, the British Home Office announced the signing of a security agreement with Iraq aimed at targeting human trafficking gangs and strengthening border cooperation, as part of the latest efforts to curb illegal immigration.

"There are trafficking gangs that exploit dangerous crossings in small boats, with operations extending through northern France, Germany, and across Europe to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and beyond," Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated.

"Organized crime perpetrators operate across borders, so law enforcement must also work across borders," Cooper added, confirming that the UK would also support Iraqi law enforcement agencies in tackling other serious organized crimes, including drug trafficking.

Global Challenge of Human Trafficking

Official reports paint a grim picture of the global human trafficking crisis, with millions of people exploited across the world. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), approximately 79% of trafficking victims are subjected to sexual exploitation, predominantly women and girls, while 18% are forced into labor. Alarmingly, nearly 20% of all trafficking victims are children.

The US Department of State's 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report estimates that around 27 million individuals globally are exploited for labor, services, and commercial sex. The report underscores the role of technology in both enabling and combating human trafficking, and it evaluates progress in 188 countries in preventing trafficking, prosecuting perpetrators, and protecting survivors.