In 2013, the UN designated July 30th as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons. Although the numbers vary, it's estimated that nearly 25 million people are exploited for profit. Human trafficking, also known as modern slavery, is said to be one of the most profitable forms of transnational crime. Traffickers prey on the vulnerable, forcing them into labor and/or exploiting them in commercial sexual enterprises. Migrants and refugees are especially susceptible and are often targeted by traffickers.
Trafficking in persons is a crime against humanity and ultimately a sin. The violence done to the physical, psychological and spiritual well being of people who are forced into modern slavery is a violation of the call of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to love our neighbors as ourselves.