On December 2, the world celebrates the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, and it is not just a formal date on the calendar, but a call to open our eyes to a problem that most of us prefer to ignore. Slavery seems to us a distant and belonging to the past, we associate it with the galleys of the Roman Empire, the cotton plantations of America or the colonial yokes of Africa. But this is not an archaism, but a terrible reality for millions of people today. And this is its terrible relevance: slavery has not disappeared, it has changed its face and continues to exist next to us in the most diverse forms. Human trafficking, forced labor, sexual exploitation, child labor, forced marriage are all happening right now in a world of digital technology and progress. What is most shocking is that these crimes often go unnoticed because the victims either have no voice or are afraid to speak up.
Historical context
The history of the fight against slavery did not start yesterday, it continues for many centuries. Slavery changed its faces over time, adapted to new conditions, but remained unchanged in essence: the exploitation of some people by others. Slavery has roots that stretch back to the deepest antiquity, when humanity was just beginning to form societies. The first cases of slavery were recorded as early as the 4th millennium BC in Mesopotamia. Among the ancient Sumerians, the first creators of city-states, slavery became one of the main ways of providing work. At that time, slaves were mostly recruited among prisoners of war or due to the inability of people to pay debts. For example, debt slaves could work in the field, in construction or in the household of their masters, performing the role of “living currency”.
In ancient Egypt, slavery was also a common phenomenon. Egyptian pharaohs used thousands of slaves to build their great pyramids and temples. Although modern researchers believe that the pyramids were built not only by slaves, but also by hired workers, nevertheless, in large-scale projects of the ancient era, the use of forced labor was common. Slaves were often captured during military campaigns or heavily taxed, which led to people being enslaved.
In ancient Greece, slavery was so integrated into social life that in Athens, the cradle of democracy, there were three or four slaves for every free citizen. They did all the hard work, allowing citizens to engage in politics, philosophy, and art. At the same time, slaves did not have any rights and could be sold or even executed by their masters.
The Roman Empire brought slavery to an unprecedented scale. During its heyday, millions of people—captured during its many conquests, born into slavery, or sold into slavery because of poverty—worked in mines, plantations, and the homes of wealthy patricians. For example, after the Third Punic War (146 BC), more than 50 thousand Carthaginians were captured and sold into slavery. One of the most dramatic episodes in Roman history related to slavery is the rebellion of Spartacus in 73-71 BC. This former gladiator led a huge slave revolt that became a symbol of the freedom struggle. Although the rebellion was brutally suppressed, it demonstrated how dependent Roman society was on slave labor.
Slaves also played an important economic role in ancient China and India. For example, in China, the Zhou dynasty (XI-III centuries BC) actively used slaves in agriculture and construction.
Slavery also existed on other continents. In Africa, it became part of local cultures long before the transatlantic slave trade. At the peak of the transatlantic slave trade, about 80,000 Africans were transported across the ocean annually. This bloody business, which lasted more than three centuries, deprived Africa of about 12 million people. One of the first blows to this system was the British ban on the slave trade in 1807. But even after that, ships continued to illegally transport people – big money invested in slave labor is not so easy to lose. For example, in the USA, the economy of the South until the middle of the 19th century was literally based on slaves. In 1860, there were more than four million slaves here, which was almost a third of the population of the region.
No less dramatic was the history of Haiti, where the slave revolution in 1791 turned into a real war for independence. By this time, slavery in what was then called San Domingo was horrific on a scale, with half of the imported Africans dying in the first three years due to the brutal working conditions. But as a result of the revolution in 1804, Haiti became the first country to abolish slavery completely. However, “freedom” turned into isolation: the country suffered an economic blockade, and its inhabitants had to pay huge “compensation” to former slave owners – a debt that Haiti paid until 1947.
In the 19th century, the fight against slavery covered the whole world. The Russian Empire abolished serfdom in 1861, formally freeing 23 million peasants. But freedom turned out to be illusory: many of the “liberated” remained dependent on landowners due to the binding conditions of redemption.
But is this problem a thing of the past? In no case not, although the world is fighting against this shameful phenomenon. One of the first steps was the abolition of the transatlantic slave trade, initiated by the Great British Parliament in 1807. The US went further by adopting the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865, which formally outlawed slavery. But this was only the beginning of a long and painful process. For example, Haiti, which gained independence in 1804 after a successful slave revolution, became the world’s first example of a state where slavery was completely abolished. In 2015, Great Britain adopted the Modern Slavery Act, which became an example of a comprehensive approach to combating this problem. However, despite all these historical victories, modern forms of slavery prove that society has not done enough to eradicate the problem.
Human trafficking in Ukraine
Human trafficking in Ukraine is a long-standing phenomenon, it ranked 49th in the global anti-modern slavery rating among 167 countries surveyed by the international non-profit organization Walk Free. According to their estimates, about 286 thousand people live in modern slavery in the country. This means that for every 100,000 Ukrainians, there are 641 people who suffer from this shameful phenomenon.
Currently, Ukraine, which is going through the biggest crisis since the Second World War, has become not only a battlefield, but also a field for a new form of war – human trafficking. In the shadow of rocket attacks, broken homes and mass resettlement of Ukrainians, a less visible but no less devastating tragedy unfolds. Cold-blooded criminals take advantage of the chaos, vulnerability and despair of people, creating ideal conditions for exploitation. The war changed everything, but human trafficking adapted instantly. Traffickers prey on the most vulnerable: internally displaced persons who have lost their homes and livelihoods; women who go abroad in search of safety and instead end up in sexual slavery; children left without parental care; men looking for work and becoming victims of labor exploitation. In this war, criminals don’t choose sides – they hunt everyone.
Statistics, released by the National Police of Ukraine, is terrifying: since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 323 cases of human trafficking have been recorded, including 37 children, including 23 minors. These numbers are not just data. These are ruined lives, broken destinies, traumas that stay with people forever. And these are only officially documented cases. Behind each of them are dozens of others who remain in the shadows.
The problem is especially acute in the war zone and among refugees. Women and children fleeing war abroad are often victims of sexual exploitation or illegal adoption. Unemployed men who want to earn money fall into slave labor conditions – without wages, documents and the right to protest. Traffickers promise “mountains of gold”, but instead take away everything – even freedom. How is this still possible in the conditions of the 21st century? The answer is simple: the chaos of war creates ideal conditions for criminals. Since the beginning of 2024, the police have discovered 67 cases of human trafficking. The injured included 29 men, 29 women and 10 children. At the same time, the fact of selling children is a common phenomenon.
Ukraine has long been a key point on the European human trafficking map, and the war has only worsened the situation. Illegal transportation, lack of control at the borders, the breakdown of social ties and the total vulnerability of the population — all this fuels the criminal business, which annually brings billions of dollars to its organizers. Human trafficking has become a convenient tool for those who are not afraid to use human misery as a way of making money. The worst thing about this situation is that the traffickers are always one step ahead. They adapt to new conditions, use modern technologies, social networks, fake vacancies. Their methods include everything from forged documents to psychological abuse. While people struggle to survive the war, criminals cold-bloodedly exploit their fear and desperation.
State structures are trying to react. In 2023, 841 thousand hryvnias were financed from the state budget to help victims of human trafficking. In 2024, 47 people received assistance. However, this is only a drop in the ocean given the scale of the problem. Many victims are simply afraid to seek help or do not know how to do so. They remain invisible to the system, but not to their executioners.
The global scale of modern slavery
In the 21st century, human trafficking has become one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world. It is second only to the drug trade in scale, bringing in more than $150 billion for criminals every year. At the same time, 1 out of 4 victims of modern slavery in the world is a child. This global business thrives on the misery of millions of people who are commodified and exploited in the most brutal ways. According to UN data, about 2.5 million people from 127 countries are trafficked to 137 states every year. According to the International Labor Organization, there are 50 million people living in modern slavery in the world today, and their number is only growing.
There are other data. By data according to the non-profit organization Walk Free, there are 40.3 million slaves in the world. Moreover, the worst situation has developed in North Korea, where 2.64 million of the 25 million population are in a state of forced labor under the pressure of the state. The top ten countries with the highest prevalence of slavery also included Eritrea (93 slaves per thousand people), Burundi (39.95 slaves per thousand people), CAR (22.25 slaves per thousand people), Afghanistan (22. 25), Mauritania (21.43), South Sudan (21.43), Pakistan (16.82), Cambodia (16.81) and Iran (16,24).
As already mentioned, Ukraine ranks 49th among 167 surveyed countries in the anti-modern slavery ranking. At the same time, Russia ranks 64th in the anti-rating, between Egypt (63rd) and Moldova (65th). According to Walk Free estimates, 794,000 people live in modern slavery in the Russian Federation, that is, there are 5.5 modern slaves for every 1,000 inhabitants. Great Britain ranks 132nd in the anti-rating with 2.08 slaves per thousand inhabitants, which is 10 times higher than the Home Office estimates. The United States ranks 158th with about 403,000 slaves.
According to the organization, 71% of modern slaves are women and girls. 24.9 million are forced to engage in forced labor, 15.4 million were forced into marriage. Over the past five years, 89 million people were subjected to some form of slavery for several days, months or years. The research used data from official statistics of 167 countries, information from non-profit organizations and the results of surveys of more than 71,000 people.
As Walk Free points out, modern slavery includes forced labor, sexual exploitation, child labor and forced marriage. According to their estimate, 71% of modern slaves are women and girls. In particular, 24.9 million people are forced to work, and 15.4 million were forced into marriage. Over the past five years, 89 million people have been affected by modern slavery, at least for a short period of time.
It should be emphasized once again that a fourth part of the victims are children who fall into terrible working conditions or criminal schemes. For example, about 20,000 children work on Lake Volta in Ghana, who are sold to fishermen for $250-$300. They are forced to untangle fishing nets for 14-16 hours a day. Their work is dangerous, often resulting in injury or death. These children are deprived of any rights and they do not receive any payment for their work.
In June, the US State Department made public annual report on human trafficking in the world for 2024. This document focuses on countries with documented public policies or practices related to human trafficking. Among them are Russia and Belarus, which have found themselves at the center of international condemnation due to systematic violations in this area. The report, presented by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, highlights the situation in 13 countries where the use of forced labor, sexual slavery and even the recruitment of children to participate in armed conflicts have been documented. This list includes Afghanistan, Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Russia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria and Turkmenistan.
These states were assigned to the third level – the lowest on the scale of compliance with anti-trafficking measures. This is a classification that indicates the most serious violations and minimal efforts to eliminate them. In this regard, from October 1, 2024, restrictions on receiving non-humanitarian foreign aid will be introduced for these countries. In particular, funding for government employee participation in exchange programs will end, as well as access to loans and resources from US financial institutions for most purposes other than humanitarian or trade.
The US State Department’s 2024 report reiterates that human trafficking remains one of the most alarming global problems that requires not only international condemnation, but also concrete action to protect victims and punish perpetrators. In India, for example, about eight million people work in debt bondage, where the “loan” is passed from father to son. In Qatar, during the construction of infrastructure for the World Cup, thousands of migrant workers died in inhumane conditions. And in Libya, a country torn by civil war, slave markets are openly operating, where people are sold for $400. This is the price of life in the 21st century.
So, the history that began thousands of years ago is still going on, but now its pages are being rewritten in new, no less terrible forms. Modern slavery is not only the dark side of globalization, it is a ruthless system that destroys lives and tests the limits of our humanity. In a world that proudly proclaims human rights and freedom, the silent tolerance of these crimes has the appearance of an explosive judgment of morality. And as long as even one person is in chains, we will all, as humanity, remain hostages of our hypocrisy.
So, a story that began thousands of years ago is still going on, and modern slavery remains one of the most atrocious crimes against humanity. It is a reality hidden in the production of the things we consume every day, in the invisible workers who are exploited for cheapness, and in the people who have been denied the right to be free. Slavery not only continues to exist, it finds new ways of accommodation and still keeps poverty, dependence and disenfranchisement in chains. And this is probably the biggest defeat of a civilization that considers itself progressive. Modern slavery is a system that lives on indifference and silence. It cannot be ignored, because behind every case there are broken lives. If the world is not ready to stop it decisively, then the question is not whether slavery will exist tomorrow, but who will be its next victim. And as long as even one person remains a slave, humanity cannot consider itself free.
Oksana Ishchenko
