Human Trafficking: The Sexy Cause and Why the Church Is Not Called to Rescue

Human trafficking is modern day slavery and it can be found in every country, rich or poor. An estimated 35 million people are enslaved in the world today, and traffickers are making over $150 billion each year. It is the second largest illegal industry after drugs, but in this case we are talking about selling and buying people. Most often, these victims are what Jesus calls ‘the least of these’, the modern day orphan, widow, or foreigner. The major forms of exploitation are forced labour and sexual exploitation. During this workshop, we will be discussing the particularities of human trafficking in Europe, along with some of its root causes. We will look at God’s heart for the people enslaved by this type of organised crime and how we, as people who have once been enslaved by sin, can be part of the solution in a way that is respectful of the human dignity of the ones we want to help. We are called to be messengers of the God who rescues. We will then explore examples of involvement in the areas of awareness, prevention, aftercare, and advocacy.