Over 45 million people enslaved worldwide: WF

More than 45 million people are enslaved in the world today, according to a recent survey report published by the Walk Free Foundation (WF) on Tuesday.

The Global Slavery Index-2016 compiled by Australia-based human rights group WF estimates that 45.8 million people are trapped in appalling conditions they can't escape, either through human trafficking, forced labor, debt bondage, forced or servile marriage or commercial sexual exploitation.

Andrew Forrest, founder of WF, said the figure increased by 28 percent from the previous index as 35.8 million people were estimated to be enslaved in 2014.

Forrest expressed fear that the situation was getting worse with global displacement and migration increasing vulnerability to all forms of slavery.

The figure shows that the scourge exists in all 167 nations surveyed by the Australian-based group Walk Free.

The index found that India, with a population of 1.3 billion, had the largest number of slaves in absolute terms at 18.35 million, followed by China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan.

About 58 percent of people living in slavery are in these five countries.

India however ranked fourth in the index in terms of prevalence of slavery as a percentage of the population - at 1.4 percent - after North Korea, Uzbekistan, Cambodia.

But North Korea ranked worst in terms of concentration, with one in every 20 people - or 4.4 percent of its 25 million population - in slavery and its government doing the least to end this, with reports of state-sanctioned forced labor.

The 2016 index was based on interviews with about 42,000 people by pollster Gallup in 53 languages in 25 countries.

The data for North Korea, for example, that found there were 1.1 million people there in slavery, was compiled through extrapolation, testimony from North Korean refugees and information gathered during three country visits by Walk Free.

Forrest said the Global Slavery Index aims to measure the prevalence of slavery in the 167 most populous countries as well as the level of vulnerability of people to enslavement and strength of government efforts to combat this.

Fiona David, head of global research at Walk Free, said estimates of slavery had risen across the world from the previous figure due to better data collection.

"The incidence of slavery in 2016 is larger than we thought. This doesn't necessarily mean the numbers have gone up since the last Global Slavery Index, but more because of a greater improvement in our measurements," David said.

"But what is new is that the Indian government is taking really exciting steps to bring all the different pieces of legislation together into one anti-trafficking act. It's a huge step forward."

The 2016 index again found Asia, which provides low-skilled labor in global supply chains producing clothing, food and technology, accounted for two-thirds of the people in slavery.

The governments taking the least action to tackle slavery were listed as North Korea, Iran, Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, and Hong Kong.

By contrast the governments taking most action were the Netherlands, the United States, Britain, Sweden and Australia.

While Europe has the lowest regional prevalence of slavery, Walk Free said it was a source and destination for forced labor and sexual exploitation. The impact of a mass influx of migrants and refugees fleeing conflicts and poverty has yet to be seen.

“Almost every country in the world has laws against modern slavery. But very few governments have sought to hold business to account,” it said

Walk Free said that 8.5 million people across the globe are fighting to end the scourge and called on the governments and companies to take action to end modern slavery.

“We call on Governments of the top ten economies of the world to enact laws, at least as strong as the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015, with a budget and capability to ensure organizations are held to account for modern slavery in their supply chains, and to empower independent oversight.”