Every 30 seconds, another person becomes a victim of human trafficking.
Let that sink in. While you read this sentence, someone somewhere just lost their freedom. While you scroll through social media tonight, hundreds more will be trapped in modern slavery. While you sleep tonight, thousands will work against their will, abused and exploited by traffickers who see them as nothing more than profit.
I wish I could tell you this was an exaggeration. I wish I could say these numbers are inflated or based on old data. But the truth is even more devastating: 49.6 million people are currently trapped in modern slavery worldwide, and that number keeps growing.
If you’re reading this thinking, “That can’t be right. Slavery ended centuries ago”, you’re exactly who needs to keep reading.
The Numbers That Should Keep You Up at Night
Let me hit you with some facts that most Christians would rather not know about.
According to the United Nations’ International Labour Organization, human traffickers victimize an estimated 27.6 million people in forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation. When you add forced marriage to that number, the total reaches 49.6 million people living in modern slavery.
Read that again. 49.6 million image bearers of God. That’s more than the entire population of South Africa. That’s more people enslaved right now than at any other point in human history, including during the transatlantic slave trade.
But here’s what makes this even more gut-wrenching: 79% of human trafficking victims are exploited for sexual purposes, with women and girls making up the vast majority. These aren’t abstract statistics. These are daughters, sisters, mothers. These are little girls who should be playing with dolls and going to school.
And children? Almost 20% of all trafficking victims worldwide are children. In some regions of Africa and the Mekong region, children make up the majority of trafficking victims, reaching up to 100% in parts of West Africa.
Every. Single. One. Of. Them. Matters. To. God.
Isaiah 61:1-3: The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
It’s Happening Right Here
Here’s the lie most of us believe: “Human trafficking is something that happens over there. In other countries. To other people. Not in my community.”
Wrong.
Human trafficking has been reported in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, on Tribal land, and within U.S. territories. It’s happening in South Africa. It’s happening in Europe. It’s happening in your city, probably on your street, definitely in your country.
In the European Union alone, 10,793 victims of human trafficking were registered in 2023, a 6.9% increase from the previous year. And those are just the ones who were identified. Experts estimate that for every victim we know about, there are countless others still trapped in the shadows.
The truth is, most trafficking happens close to home. Most exploitation takes place near where victims live, not across continents. The person being trafficked might work in the restaurant you ate at last week. They might be the domestic worker you saw at your neighbor’s house. They might be the teenager who looks terrified at the gas station at 2 AM.
They’re everywhere. We just refuse to see them.
Who Are the Traffickers?
When we think of human traffickers, we imagine shadowy criminal organizations and international kidnapping rings. And yes, those exist. But that’s not the whole picture.
Traffickers can be relatives, romantic partners, or close family friends. They can be the owners of a restaurant in the community, a local business offering janitorial services, a farm labor contractor, or even the couple next door with a live-in domestic worker.
Let me say that differently: the person trafficking humans might be someone you know. Someone you do business with. Someone who seems perfectly normal.
And here’s something that should shock every one of us: In 30% of countries that provided information on trafficker gender, women make up the largest proportion of traffickers. In some parts of the world, women trafficking women is the norm.
Evil doesn’t have a single face. It wears many masks, and sometimes those masks look disturbingly ordinary.
The Systems That Enable Slavery
Human trafficking doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It thrives because we’ve created systems that make exploitation profitable and easy.
Consider this: Since 2003, U.S. states have enacted 695 anti-trafficking policies, but prevention policies. – which address root causes and reduce vulnerabilities – remain significantly underdeveloped. In other words, we’re getting better at prosecuting traffickers after the damage is done, but we’re not doing nearly enough to prevent trafficking in the first place.
Why? Because prevention requires addressing uncomfortable truths about poverty, inequality, broken immigration systems, and the demand side of exploitation. It’s easier to arrest a trafficker than to dismantle the economic systems that make trafficking profitable.
Over 2,400 trafficking cases have been prosecuted in the United States since 2000, involving 4,589 defendants and 12,132 identified victims. But here’s the devastating reality: two out of every five countries covered by the UNODC Report had not recorded a single conviction for human trafficking.
Let me translate that: in many parts of the world, traffickers operate with complete impunity. They know they’ll never face justice. So they keep trafficking. And the numbers keep growing.
Why This Should Matter to Christians
If you’re a follower of Jesus and you’re not disturbed by these statistics, we need to talk about what kind of Jesus you’re actually following.
Because the Jesus I read about in Scripture got angry about injustice. He flipped tables when people exploited the vulnerable. He reserved His harshest words not for sinners but for religious people who ignored suffering while maintaining their comfortable spiritual routines.
Isaiah 61:1-3, the passage Jesus read at the beginning of His ministry, says this:
“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”
That’s not a suggestion. That’s the mission. Liberty for captives. Freedom for the bound. Good news for those trapped in exploitation.
And Proverbs 31:8-9 commands us:
"Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy."
You can’t claim to follow Jesus while remaining silent about the 49.6 million people enslaved in our world. You can’t worship a God of justice while turning a blind eye to injustice. You can’t sing about amazing grace while refusing to extend that grace through action toward the oppressed.
I’m not saying you need to become a full-time activist. I’m saying you need to care. You need to pay attention. You need to let this reality change how you live.
The Uncomfortable Truth About Demand
Here’s something most anti-trafficking campaigns won’t tell you: trafficking exists because there’s demand for it.
Men create demand for sex trafficking when they buy sex. Companies create demand for labor trafficking when they prioritize cheap goods over ethical production. Consumers create demand when we refuse to ask where our products come from or how they’re made.
Sexual exploitation remains the most common form of human trafficking, and it exists because people pay for it. Every person who purchases sex is funding an industry that enslaves women and children. Every person who watches pornography is contributing to a system that traffics and exploits.
I know that makes people uncomfortable. Good. It should.
And labor trafficking? That exists because we want cheap food, cheap clothes, cheap electronics. We want convenience without consequences. We want to ignore the reality that someone somewhere is being exploited so we can save a few rand or dollars.
The question every Christian needs to ask is this: Am I contributing to the demand that keeps trafficking profitable?
What Now? The Call to Action
Statistics without action are just numbers. Information without transformation is just entertainment. You can read this post, feel sad for five minutes, and move on with your life. Most people will.
Or you can let this wreck you. You can let the reality of 49.6 million enslaved people disturb your comfortable Christianity. You can decide that faith without action is dead, and that following Jesus means actually doing something about the suffering in our world.
Here’s what I’m asking you to do right now, today, before you close this tab:
First, support organizations actually making a difference.
A21 is on the frontlines rescuing victims, prosecuting traffickers, and restoring lives. They’re not just talking about the problem; they’re solving it. Donate to A21’s Freedom Campaign right now. Whatever amount you can give matters. Skip one takeout meal this week and send that money to A21 instead.
Second, educate yourself.
This post is just the beginning. Learn to recognize the signs of trafficking. Understand how it happens in your community. Know what to do if you suspect someone is being trafficked. The National Human Trafficking Hotline has resources that could help you save a life.
Third, pray.
Intercede for the 49.6 million people trapped in slavery. Pray for their rescue. Pray for their healing. Pray for justice. Pray for the organizations fighting trafficking. Prayer is not a substitute for action, but it’s the foundation of everything we do.
Fourth, speak up.
Share this post. Talk about trafficking with your family, your small group, your church. Make it uncomfortable. Break the silence that allows trafficking to thrive.
Fifth, examine your life.
Are you contributing to trafficking through your purchasing decisions? Are you creating demand through your consumption habits? Are you looking away because it’s easier than confronting the truth?
A Final Challenge
Every 30 seconds, someone becomes a victim of human trafficking. That’s 2,880 people every day. Over a million people every year.
While you were reading this post, approximately 20 more people lost their freedom.
The question is: what are you going to do about it?
You can close this tab and forget everything you just read. You can go back to your comfortable life and pretend this doesn’t affect you. You can tell yourself that one person can’t make a difference.
Or you can remember that our God specializes in using ordinary people to do extraordinary things. You can believe that your prayers matter, your dollars matter, your voice matters. You can decide that comfortable Christianity is not Christianity at all.
49.6 million people are waiting for someone to care enough to act.
Will you be that someone?
Support A21’s Freedom Campaign today. Because every single person trapped in slavery matters to God. And they should matter to us too.
Take Action Now:
- Donate: Support A21’s Freedom Campaign with a one-time or monthly gift
- Learn: Download A21’s free resources on recognizing trafficking signs
- Report: If you suspect trafficking, call the National Human Trafficking Hotline of your country
- Share: Post this on social media with #EndTrafficking #FreedomMatters
- Pray: Commit to praying for trafficking victims daily this week
These statistics matter because the people behind them matter. Don’t let this be just another article you read. Let it be the moment you decided to do something.
John Thole is the voice behind Beyond Salvation, a blog that captures the highs and lows of life through faith, laughter, and honest reflection. With a passion for storytelling, technology, and spiritual growth, he creates content that resonates with seekers, believers, and anyone navigating life’s journey. Whether sharing personal insights, devotionals, or thought-provoking discussions, John aims to inspire, uplift, and spark meaningful conversations.
