Philippines ranks second globally for number of trafficking victims—IOM

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations-led support network for migrants, has flagged the Philippines as the second in the world’s leading country of origin for trafficking victims, recording 13,313 Filipino victims out of a total of 125,000 globally. 

In the latest data, the country placed next to Ukraine with 19,163 and ahead of the United States with 11,658 and Moldova with 10,464.

It also revealed that while being a top source of trafficking activities, the Philippines is also a major site where exploitation happens, ranking in the global top 10 with a record of 2,333 cases. 

The report was presented at the Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour held in Marrakesh, Morocco, from Feb. 11 to 13. 

According to the IOM’s analysis, the leading types of trafficking include sexual exploitation at 61 percent and forced labor at percent, with 7 percent falling under other categories.

Approximately one in four trafficking victims identified worldwide is a child, with 29,545 recorded cases of minor victims.

“Millions of children on the move face heightened risks of exploitation and trafficking, yet they remain too often invisible in global policies and protection systems,” IOM Director General Amy Pope said in a video message.

Adults, meanwhile, comprise the majority of those identified, with nearly 100,000 cases making up 76% of the data.

Moreover, the organization noted that large-scale overseas employment has been weaponized by traffickers in the forms of illegal recruitment and deceptive job offers.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) rose to an estimated 2.19 million in 2024, which is 1.5 percent higher from the 2.16 million count in the preceding year.

Citing a joint study with Harvard, the IOM noted that two decades of child trafficking data have revealed complex links between child labor, migration, and human trafficking.

“The findings point to the need for closer alignment between child protection, migration and anti-trafficking systems, as well as more coordinated action among policymakers, researchers and practitioners,” the IOM said. 

While there is official data for identified victims, the IOM warned that the figure may represent only a fraction of the actual number of people suffering from human trafficking due to gaps in global detection and reporting.

UN agencies, alongside other anti-trafficking groups, and youth leaders, also stressed the need for improved data and research to better identify risks and direct targeted support to victims.