Morocco Reports 783% Surge in Human Trafficking Cases Since 2017

In detail, 719 people have been victims of these traffickings and 283 [...] of sexual exploitation, including 58 abused due to their extremely precarious social situation. According to Bouayach, the number "of human trafficking crimes has increased from 17 cases in 2017 to 80 in 2018 before reaching 151 in 2019". She called for the acceleration of the implementation of a national strategy to fight this scourge.

By promulgating law no. 14-27 on the fight against trafficking in human beings, which came into force on August 25, 2016, the kingdom had adapted its legislation. According to her, this law "has defined the crime of trafficking in human beings in accordance with the United Nations definition," she specifies.

In total, 585 people have been prosecuted in human trafficking cases, including 144 women and 84 foreigners. As for the national search warrants issued against suspects in these cases, they amounted to 137. In addition, 443 people were placed in pre-trial detention during the same period as part of investigations related to this scourge.