North Korea, Eritrea and Mauritania are the countries hardest hit by modern slavery, according to the Global Slavery Index released on Wednesday, which noted a “deteriorating” situation in the world since it was last released five years ago.
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The report estimates that 50 million people will be living “in modern slavery situations” in 2021, 10 million more than in 2016. That figure includes 28 million people in forced labor situations and 22 million people in forced marriages.
Factors explaining this intensification include “increasing and complex armed conflicts” and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report, created by Walk Free, defines modern slavery as “forced labour, forced marriage, debt bondage, sexual exploitation” or even the “sale and exploitation of children”.
According to the report, North Korea has the highest rate at 104.6 people in modern slavery per 1,000 people.
Next comes Eritrea (90.3) and Mauritania (32), which was the last country to make hereditary slavery illegal in 1981.
Many of the hardest-hit countries are in “volatile” regions experiencing conflict or political instability, with large “vulnerable” populations such as refugees or migrant workers.
The top 10 hardest-hit countries also include Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, where “kafala,” guardianship without descent, is restricting the rights of migrant workers. There are also Turkey, “which takes in millions of Syrian refugees”, Tajikistan, Russia and Afghanistan.
Although forced labor is more common in poor countries, there is a “deep” connection with demand from wealthier countries, the report says. Two-thirds of forced labor cases are related to international supply chains.
The report highlights that the G20 countries currently import $468 billion worth of goods that may have been manufactured using forced labour, up from $354 billion in the previous report .
Electronic products remain the most at risk, followed by clothing, palm oil and solar panels.
“Modern slavery permeates every aspect of our society. It’s woven into our clothing, powers our electronics and flavors our food,” said Grace Forrest, the association’s executive director.
“Basically, modern slavery is an expression of extreme inequality,” she added. “It’s a mirror held up to power, reflecting who has it and who doesn’t in a given society.”