Global trafficking of people for organ removal is a growing concern, according to the latest report out of the United States.
The 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report, created by the US Department of State, stated that the crime was one of the least reported and least understood forms of trafficking.
“However, it is one that experts believe may be growing.”
The report said the crime was sometimes confused with organ trafficking, which was the illicit trade of organs.
“In organ trafficking, the focus is on the organ itself; conversely, with trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal, the focus is on the individual.
“Often, in cases of trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal, would-be donors are tricked into organ donation.”
The report said kidneys were the most common organ involved, but other organs and tissues, such as livers, corneas, or skin, were also sought.
It said United Nations Office of Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) statistics showed trafficking in persons for the purpose of organ removal constituted only 0.2 percent of detected victims, compared to the much higher numbers for sex trafficking and forced labour, but “existing barriers to reporting suggest that the full scale of this phenomenon is not yet known”.
The UNODC stats show a recent uptick in cases, with 700 victims reported between 2008 and 2022, while noting “the scale of the problem is likely to be much larger.”
The report comes as Australia is listed as one of only 33 countries to have met the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking, in general.
Federal Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong said the report highlighted the passage of legislation last month to establish Australia’s first Anti-Slavery Commissioner.
