Pontifical council: Human trafficking ‘3rd most lucrative criminal activity’
December 02, 2008
The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People yesterday released the conclusions of the First Latin American Meeting for the Pastoral Care of the Road/Street, held in Bogota from October 19 to 24. After reflecting on the pastoral care of road users, the concluding document turned to the tragic situations of street women, street children, and the homeless. Human trafficking, "especially of women, minors, and children, has turned into a powerful global industry, the world’s third most lucrative criminal activity after arms trading and drug dealing"’ the document notes. "Prostitution is not a new phenomenon. However, what is new is that it has been turned into a complex worldwide business that takes advantage of the poverty and vulnerability of its victims, who have become the slaves of the 21st century."
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Further information:
- Vatican document on street ministry (Zenit, full text)
- The problem of sexual trafficking (BreakPoint)
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