The number of human trafficking victims in Morocco has increased significantly in the past 3 years, reaching an estimated 719 victims, 47.41% of whom were minors.
According to a recent report on human trafficking in the Kingdom issued this Tuesday, February 15, at a conference, 414 victims were males, while females accounted for 305 of the victims, 192 were minors and 213 are legal adults.
The report, submitted by the National Committee for the Coordination of Actions to Combat and Prevent Human Trafficking, found that the number of human trafficking cases in the country moved from 47 in 2017, to 231 in 2018, bringing up the total number to 307 in 2019, and 138 in 2020.
In total, the number of individuals pursued for human trafficking charges in Morocco reached a total of 585 for the period from 2017 to 2020, including 84 foreigners, and 144 females.
The number of female perpetrators in these crimes exceeded the number of males in 2018, reaching 161, a significant number in contrast with male convicts, with 119 recorded cases.
The overall total of registered cases also increased from 17 cases in 2017 to 80 cases in 2018, and the upward trend continued on in 2019 and 2020, reaching 151 cases and 131 cases respectively.
In the last three years, the number of judicial complaints for human trafficking cases recorded an increase of over 200% in 2018 and 96% in 2019.
The report attributed the rise in the number of human trafficking cases to “the intensified efforts made to fight human trafficking, and dismantling active networks.”
Foreigners represent 10.21% of the total number of people pursued for human trafficking charges between 2017 and 2019 in Morocco, compared to 89.79% of Moroccan suspects.
Regarding freedom-depriving penalties issued against the pursued and apprehended, 19% of were sentenced to less than five years in 2019, 17% were sentenced to less than 10 years, and the same percentage to less than 1 year, while those convicted of less than 40 years amounted to 7%, and 8% were sentenced to less than 2 years, while no life sentences were issued.
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