Colombia: 79 Victims Of Human Trafficking Have Been Repatriated So Far In 2023

The Government of Colombia has repatriated 79 victims of human trafficking so far this year, according to figures revealed today by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Here we tell you who these repatriated victims are, what they are victims of and how they have fallen into human trafficking networks.

Who are the repatriated victims?

The Foreign Ministry detailed in a statement that of the total number of victims, 42 are women, 16 men and 21 did not indicate their gender.

"All of them have received accompaniment, social and legal assistance at the Colombian Consulates in countries such as Belgium, Bolivia, Canada, Chile, the Republic of Korea, Croatia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Turkey," the information added.

The vast majority of victims, according to the Ministry, have "been exploited for the purposes of sexual exploitation, fraudulent job offers and servile marriage."

Likewise, in general, they are captured by social networks or invitations from acquaintances who invite them to make the trip with "the illusion of a promising future".

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The repatriation process

These people were repatriated thanks to the "Assistance Route for Potential Victims of Human Trafficking Abroad", with which the Government provided them with "consular assistance with a view to safeguarding and guaranteeing their rights."

The Ministry also explained that although we are only in August, the number registered so far is already close to that registered in 2022, when Colombian consulates abroad attended and accompanied 98 people. The figures for the last two years are also much higher than those of 2021 when 37 cases were registered.